This year, autonomous trucks may be driving without human co-pilots
2023 was a challenging year for autonomous vehicles, but 2024 will be an exciting year for startups in the industry.
Sensor arrays and software are all that will control autonomous trucks without human safety operators in the-
coming year, according to Aurora Innovations, Kodiak Robotics, and Gatik AI.
Aurora Innovations co-founder Chris Urmson predicts that by year's end, trucks will run without drivers.
In the event of failure, semi trucks could cause significant property damage,
according to the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
Compared to robots that handle cross traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists, startup companies argue-
that developing autonomous software for trucks is easier.
Despite driverless trucks not being at fault for any accidents until now, human operators still have a much-
better record of thansafety human operators, with 5,700 fatal accidents in 2021.
As a significant portion of fatal accidents result from outside factors veering into the truck's-
path, autonomous technology may not eliminate them all.
Automated trucks usually cost less to buy, since they don't need human drivers and don't have to pay overtime.