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Scania’s first fully autonomous self-driving concept truck, Scania AXL, is equipped with cameras, radar, lidar and GPS receivers. The system is designed for a level that meets the operational needs of mines. “The system isn’t yet street smart but it’s certainly smart enough for being used in mines,” says Development Engineer Magnus Granström, Autonomous Systems Development.
For autonomous vehicles, software is in many ways more important than hardware. Scania AXL is steered and monitored by an intelligent control environment. In mines, for example, the autonomous operations are facilitated by a logistics system that tells the vehicle how it should perform.
The combustion engine that powers the concept vehicle is an example of how traditional and new technology is mixed. It is advantageously powered by renewable biofuel.
The robust and powerful features and design behind Scania AXL match the tougher environments in mines and large construction sites. A new intelligent front module replaces the traditional cab, but even without a cab the concept is easily recognisable as a Scania.
Autonomous vehicles have often relied on data from cameras and radar. Radar sensors are reliable, but the resolution is insufficient to identify the likes of pedestrians and small objects at a distance. The camera offers a sufficient level of detail and a good overview in two dimensions but requires massive software to convert 2D images of the surrounding environment to 3D. Generally, for autonomous vehicles, software is more important than hardware.