Volvo Autonomous Solutions launches autonomous transport solutions project
Maryam Farag
Business Operations Industry Automotive Electronics Manufacturing Transportation autmotive automation automotive manufacturing Gotheburg sensor-equipped truck supply chain transport solutions truck Volvo Autonomous Solutions
Volvo Autonomous Solutions is moving ahead with a commercial pilot project in the port area of Gothenburg.
The project is a collaboration between Volvo Autonomous Solutions and the shipping and logistics company DFDS, port operators APM Terminals, the Port of Gothenburg and property company Platzer Fastigheter.
The development work is done together with AI and AV computing platforms partner NVIDIA.
“It is full speed ahead in the development of on-road as well as off-road transportation solutions,” said Nils Jaeger, President, Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “Autonomous transport has an important role to play in the future of logistics and will benefit both business and society in terms of productivity, safety and sustainability.”
The project entails collecting data with a sensor-equipped truck in the Arendal area in Gothenburg, as a first phase towards creating an automated and connected system for a continuous flow of goods. The truck, operated by a human driver, is being driven on both confined port areas and public roads and is collecting data to develop the artificial intelligence to be able to design a safe autonomous solution.
“Our vision for an automated supply chain aligns very well with Volvo’s goals for this project, and made this valued partnership a natural choice. Autonomous solutions have the potential to radically improve efficiency and increase safety in both business and society, and it takes open collaboration across industries to drive this kind of complex change,” said Rune Keldsen, EVP and CTO, DFDS.
The data collection vehicle will be used to learn about complex everyday traffic situations, using sensors logging the surroundings of the vehicles and the driver’s interaction with the vehicle. The truck is equipped with 21 sensors in the shape of radars, lidars and cameras, making it possible for the system to detect small things far away on the road surface, and objects that are close to the vehicle.
“Automation is a key lever in our industry for improving safety and increasing our efficiency, so we are very happy to partner on this exciting project and we look forward to seeing it develop. I am convinced that including the terminal in the data collection phase will contribute to understanding the complexity of our business,” said Dennis Olesen, Managing Director, APM Terminals Nordics.
