Self-driving trucks are getting smarter. How are they doing it?
2024-08-21
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Smart heavy trucks equipped with multiple types of sensors save drivers from long periods of fatigue driving; container trucks equipped with autonomous driving horizontal transport systems make port transportation more flexible and intelligent; logistics vehicles that seamlessly shuttle between logistics warehouses and enterprises help to realize flexible production better and faster... In recent years, Jiangsu has promoted the development of autonomous driving technology, continuously enriched application scenarios, and continuously strengthened industrial support.
On June 1, 2024, people were visiting two intelligent driving heavy trucks jointly developed by Suzhou Zhijia Technology Co., Ltd. and automakers. Photo by Yang Lei, Xinhua News Agency
In the morning, a red heavy truck about 16 meters long drove smoothly on the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway. After passing the Xiangcheng toll station in Suzhou, Jiangsu, the driver Sun Yefu pressed the "one-touch entry" button on the lever, and heard a voice broadcast "Smart Plus Navigation is on". This means that the seemingly ordinary heavy truck has switched to the intelligent assisted driving state, and it also means that Sun Yefu has transformed from a driver to a safety officer. He only needs to sit in the car to supervise, and the smart heavy truck will slow down, avoid or change lanes according to the real-time road conditions.
In Jiangsu, autonomous driving has become an important carrier for innovative technologies to reshape the logistics and transportation industry. In addition to smart heavy trucks, autonomous driving container trucks used in ports have completed the initial stage of technical verification and entered the fast lane of large-scale commercial applications; autonomous driving logistics vehicles running between logistics parks and manufacturing companies have achieved a deep integration of the logistics industry and the manufacturing industry with the help of intelligent driving systems... How can autonomous driving help freight transportation reduce costs and increase efficiency? Recently, a People's Daily reporter visited several application scenarios of autonomous driving in related fields in Jiangsu.
Heavy trucks have "eyes"
Intelligent heavy trucks are used in trunk logistics, making driving easy and comfortable
How did Sun Yefu transform from a driver to a safety officer?
"Heavy-duty trucks are equipped with various types of sensors, including millimeter-wave radars, lidars, high-definition cameras, etc., which serve as the 'eyes' of smart heavy-duty trucks and can clearly see and understand the road conditions hundreds of meters away." Cui Dixiao, chief scientist of Suzhou Zhijia Technology Co., Ltd., told reporters that smart heavy-duty trucks can achieve 360-degree multi-perception and are not afraid of heavy rain and fog. They can also observe congestion ahead in advance, and drive smoothly and save fuel through uniform deceleration and smooth braking.
What is it like to sit in the car? Sun Yefu admitted that he used to feel very tired after driving a truck continuously. Sometimes he was so tired that he couldn't eat when he arrived at the service area and just wanted to take a nap. But since he became a safety officer, he has felt much more relaxed and comfortable.
In what occasions are these smart heavy-duty trucks mainly used? Cui Dixiao introduced that smart heavy-duty trucks are mainly used in trunk logistics scenarios. In 2020, Zhijia Technology and Zhitu Technology jointly assisted FAW Jiefang in launching the J7 Super Truck, a pre-installed vehicle-grade smart heavy-duty truck, and completed the delivery of 100 pre-installed mass-produced smart heavy-duty trucks for the logistics industry. Last year, Zhijia Technology and JAC Motors jointly created smart heavy-duty trucks for the express delivery market. At present, these smart heavy-duty trucks have been traveling in the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and other regions, undertaking various types of logistics business, maintaining zero accidents throughout the entire process, and saving up to 10% fuel.
Last year, Jiangsu formulated and issued the "2023 Jiangsu Digital Transportation Empowerment Special Action Plan", which clarified the construction tasks of the digital transformation of the province's transportation industry infrastructure in the field of intelligent connected vehicle-road collaboration, and promoted the application of innovative technologies and industrial development of intelligent connected vehicles. "Focusing on the phased promotion of roadside infrastructure construction, Jiangsu is selecting qualified expressways and national and provincial roads, focusing on the goals of full-factor intelligent perception, full-business intelligent management, all-round intelligent services, and vehicle-road collaborative autonomous driving, and organizing concentrated research on key technologies to enrich autonomous driving scenarios and provide stronger support for industrial development." said a relevant person in charge of the Science and Technology Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Transportation.
The "brain" of the card collector
Port transportation is completed automatically, reducing errors and improving efficiency
Arriving at the Lushi operation area of Tongzhou Bay Port Area of Nantong Port, we saw five self-driving container trucks operating in an orderly manner in the closed area of 91 container area of berth 9. They automatically drove to the designated position of the yard along the set route, aligned with the fully automatic rail crane, and the rail crane lifted the container and placed it on the trailer part of the container truck. Afterwards, the container truck transported the container to the designated position of the berth along the set route again and aligned with the quay crane, and then the quay crane lifted the container and placed it on the freight ship.
It is reported that this is the first autonomous truck fleet in Jiangsu Province. "In the past, such work was done by drivers driving traditional trucks, which required repeated alignment, was time-consuming and laborious. Now, it is done by autonomous trucks equipped with artificial intelligence technology, with an error of no more than 5 centimeters," said Jiang Haozhou, information technology director of the operation department of Jiangsu Hutong Container Terminal Co., Ltd.
Behind the changes, what can be seen are the sensors and positioning devices on the vehicle body, but what cannot be seen is the "smart brain" - the self-developed autonomous driving horizontal transportation system. The data collected by the sensor equipment is sent to the "brain" for analysis and processing, and decisions are made based on traffic flow information to command the truck to go straight, turn, change lanes, align and reverse.
This batch of self-driving container trucks are modified from national standard wire-controlled chassis container trucks, and the technology is constantly iterating and upgrading. "Early self-driving container trucks were guided by laying magnetic nails on the ground, so the port site could not be built in a conventional way, which was not only costly, but also had a high damage rate for the magnetic nails." Jiang Haozhou explained that with the development of technology, the emergence of truly unmanned and intelligent horizontal transportation equipment has become possible, which is not only more flexible and intelligent, but also does not require infrastructure reconstruction of the terminal. It is suitable for application in more than 95% of traditional terminals in China, allowing freight methods to be upgraded.
Recently, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Transportation issued the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Construction of Smart Ports and the Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Construction of Smart Waterways", which clearly stated that by 2027, all terminals in the province with berths of 50,000 tons and above will basically have built an intelligent sensing network, built and created a number of full-process automated container terminals and dry bulk terminals, and explored and promoted the automation transformation of a number of general cargo terminals.
Logistics vehicles become "smart"
Seamless connection between enterprises to promote flexible production
Turn left, go straight, turn right, avoid... On the open road of the comprehensive bonded zone in Wuxi High-tech Zone, Jiangsu Province, a logistics truck carrying 10 tons of heavy raw materials and parts drove smoothly from the comprehensive bonded warehouse of Jiangsu Jialida International Logistics Co., Ltd. to the warehouse of an American-funded enterprise in the park. The one-way distance is 2.5 kilometers, the driving time is 10 to 15 minutes, and it drives 8 to 12 times a day according to orders.
If you look closely, you will find that this is a modified self-driving vehicle. Safety officer Xu Hongming admitted that the actual operation is "very easy" - under the guidance of high-definition maps and intelligent driving systems, the car can automatically start, accelerate, change lanes, and park. Since the operation in September last year, the emergency intervention of the safety officer "has not been used yet."
How does this logistics vehicle achieve such "smartness"? Qian Shaohua, director of the Innovation Research Institute of Jiangsu Jialida International Logistics Co., Ltd., said that the 11 radars, 16 cameras and two antennas throughout the vehicle are the "five senses" of the vehicle, which transmit the perception information to the intelligent driving system controller on the vehicle. The "brain" makes a pre-judgment action based on the computing power, and then the "limbs" - the steering wheel, brake module and wheels - complete the action.
After the self-driving car entered the company's warehouse, it parked in front of a platform 1.3 meters above the ground. It was greeted by another self-driving transporter. This "little friend" drove directly into the car, forked out the transferred goods, and transported them to the storage assembly line, where they were sorted and placed in the three-dimensional warehouse for use.
What is the necessity of using self-driving cars in the logistics and warehousing links? Qian Shaohua told reporters that the driving routes in this scenario are simple and fixed. The use of self-driving cars can not only reduce low-level repetitions, but also achieve seamless connection and deep integration between the logistics industry and the manufacturing industry. Through 24-hour real-time response and precise supply, small-batch, high-frequency, customized flexible production has become the direction for further transformation and development of the manufacturing industry and upgrading.
"In the next step, we will also carry out technological research and development to realize the technical superposition of autonomous driving and automatic unloading, and leverage the local advantages in advanced technologies such as 5G communications and cloud computing to achieve vehicle-road collaboration, making 'smart cars' and 'smart roads' safer and more reliable." Qian Shaohua said.
Source: People's Daily WeChat Official Account
