Truck automation operational concept alternatives

Abstract

This paper defines a comprehensive range of operational concepts for automating the driving of heavy trucks. These concepts are defined in terms of the amount of driving functionality that is transferred from the driver to the automated system and the roadway conditions in which the trucks would operate. With the minimum amount of automation (providing only safety warnings to drivers) it should be feasible and safe to operate in any roadway environment, but with the maximum use of automation operations must be restricted to simplified and protected driving environments to keep the complexity of the automation challenges tractable. This systematic classification of operational concept alternatives is intended to help stakeholders who are interested in truck automation to focus on specific alternatives.