Self-driving vehicle company Torc Robotics has agreed to partner with transportation company C.R. England to work together on a pilot project for autonomous trucks.
That with Daimler trucks Cooperating companies Torc confirmed the strategic cooperation. Torc’s fleet of autonomous trucks is said to carry temperature-controlled loads from C.R. Use England for long-distance travel.
CR England is the second carrier to partner with the Virginia-based company. There was already a partnership with Schneider last year. The new program sees Torc expanding into the refrigerated transport market.
The self-driving technology of Torc includes an integrated suite of sensors including cameras, long- and short-range lidar sensors, and long- and short-range radar. These are used to detect a truck’s surroundings, create a 3D image of the surroundings, identify objects and calculate the movement of nearby vehicles.
High-resolution maps show the safest routes, with localization and prediction algorithms providing real-time updates. According to Torc, the result is functionality that can deal with complex driving situations such as lane changes, merging and sudden changes in speed in traffic.
No specific details about the pilot have been released, except that planning is expected to begin in mid-2023, followed by on-road testing. The immediate priority is for the testing to provide insights to support the development of the technology as Torc moves towards commercialization. CR Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, England says the pilot can serve as a stepping stone to expanding its own network.
In recent weeks, other self-driving vehicle companies have partnerships announcedto commercialize their technology.