Summary: Continental and Aurora have announced the successful completion of the design and system architecture of an autonomous vehicle hardware kit for self-driving trucks. This milestone represents a crucial step towards mass production and commercialization of autonomous vehicles.
Continental and Aurora have reached a significant achievement in their collaboration to develop autonomous vehicle technology. The two companies have wrapped up the initial phase of a project aimed at mass producing autonomous vehicle hardware for commercial self-driving trucks.
The completion of the design and system architecture of the autonomous vehicle hardware kit marks a critical milestone in the development process. The kit includes various components such as sensors, automated driving control units, and high-performance computers, along with software integration, to enable driverless semi-trucks to navigate roads independently.
With the hardware design now finalized, Continental is set to move forward with the development of prototypes in preparation for production, scheduled to begin in 2027. The initial testing phase will take place at Continental’s new facility located in New Braunfels, Texas. By 2026, the companies plan to commence the validation process by integrating the hardware and software systems onto a fleet of trucks for testing purposes.
One of the primary objectives of this collaboration is to manufacture an automotive-grade hardware system capable of withstanding the demanding environmental conditions encountered by long-haul trucks on a daily basis. Reliability, ease of maintenance, and cost-efficiency are key considerations in this endeavor.
While the ultimate goal is to produce thousands of these systems, Aurora plans to launch 19 driverless Class 8 trucks by the end of 2024. These trucks, designed to operate safely without human intervention, will initially serve a route between Dallas and Houston. Although they won’t feature the Aurora-Continental hardware kit, they will adhere to automotive standards and undergo continuous hardware updates before transitioning to the scalable kit.
CEO of Aurora, Chris Urmson, expressed the significance of finalizing the hardware design, emphasizing its impact on the overall unit economics of the Aurora Driver and the company’s long-term profitability objectives.
Continental and Aurora’s collaboration represents a major step forward in the development of autonomous vehicle technology, bringing the future of self-driving trucks closer to reality.
The source of the article is from the blog kunsthuisoaleer.nl