LAS VEGAS — Kenworth Truck Co. exhibited a Level 4 Autonomous Kenworth T680 in the PACCAR booth at CES that ended here Friday.
The proof-of-concept truck was conceived and constructed at the PACCAR Innovation Center. PACCAR has worked with leading experts in the field of high-definition mapping, localization, perception and path planning to deliver an integrated autonomous solution, according to Patrick Dean, Kenworth chief engineer who said the special Kenworth T680 is equipped with cameras, LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors, and radars to sense the surrounding road environment and to feed fusion algorithms in the perception stack for object identification and tracking.
A Global Navigation Satellite System with an Inertial Measurement Unit combined with LiDAR Point Cloud on a high-definition map provides centimeter accuracy localization.
The autonomous vehicle software and feedback control logic for actuation are hosted on five computers that record up to 1TB of data per hour of driving.
Mechanical modifications to the Kenworth T680 include redundant steering torque overlay system, upgraded high capacity alternator, a high-fidelity electronically controlled air braking system, and the addition of rear seats in the sleeper structure for the autonomous engineering team.
“Kenworth and the PACCAR Innovation Center in Silicon Valley are working closely together to explore and develop the latest advanced driver assistance systems and other new technologies that offer safety and efficiency benefits for truck fleets and drivers. The Level 4 Autonomous Kenworth T680 is a perfect platform to study this technology in real-world applications,” Dean said.
Level 4 autonomy offers a vehicle that is fully autonomous, but only in certain conditions. A level 4 can only handle certain speeds and certain terrain. The driver does not need to be fully in control during travel but must take over suddenly when the vehicle is no longer able to handle a situation.
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