Royal Truck and Equipment and Micro Systems have developed an Autonomous Truck Mounted Attenuator (ATMA) vehicle using Royal Truck’s attenuator safety feature, mounted on the rear of a truck that cushions impact in the event of a collision. The self-driving following truck uses Micro Systems’ autonomous operation technology.
In addition to remote driving, the new truck uses what’s described as “leader-follower” technology or caravan — one truck follows the another at the same speed and makes the same turns.
The technology helps those who are in danger of being struck. If the following vehicle is struck, there is no one inside the truck who can get hurt.
Two of the autonomous trucks will be deployed in Florida as part of a demonstration program under the state Department of Transportation.
Florida-based Micro Systems Inc., supplies unmanned vehicles to the military.
Royal Truck and Equipment is the nation’s leading manufacturer of TMA trucks. TMA trucks, or Truck Mounted Attenuator trucks, save the lives of workers in construction zones by working as a barrier to oncoming traffic.
Royal Truck also builds a variety of other truck models such as forestry, landscaping, safety trucks and more.
Daimler Truck is working on a self-driving tractor trailer truck, Freightliner Inspiration.