Twelve project partners from industry, science, software development and infrastructure have successfully completed the “Atlas-L4” research and development project. The targeted L4 automated truck for lift-to-lift transport was brought onto the highways in the three and a half years of the project. “The development and integration of the redundant components required for safe operation, such as steering, brakes and the on-board electrical system, as well as the creation of a validation concept required interdisciplinary expertise and close teamwork. As a consortium, we have proven ourselves with this project: Autonomously driving trucks are feasible!” says Dr. Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus.
In the “Automated transport between logistics centers on level 4 expressways” project launched in 2022, the automation software in the vehicle was continuously updated and tested directly in practice. The partners were able to tick off all the targets: The components relevant to safety for the level 4 architecture were set up, as was a validation concept. At the same time, the Control Center for technical supervision was put into operation. Risk analyses and safety considerations for level 4 were carried out, including cyber security and the definition of functional safety measures such as redundancies and degradation concepts for the autonomous driving system. The pioneering work can be used as a basis for future industrial developments.
