Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/715740
TRUCKING TOPICS 34 // COMPANY DRIVER // SEPTEMBER 2016 Lastly, the autonomous megatrend will bring sophisticated systems built around radar, laser scanning, cameras and other sensory systems to nearly all trucks and passenger cars, says ZF's Peter Lake, member of the board. "Automated driving is real and it's here to stay in the trucking industry," he said. "We're in a period of change like no other seen [in the automotive industry]." Lake says vehicle automation will be one of the main drivers of vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems and vehicle-to- infrastructure communication systems. Likewise, the fast-approaching "Internet of Things" — that is, the ability of everyday items to become two-way senders and receivers of data via Internet connection — will be a catalyst for increased vehicle connectivity. "The theme is more intelligence in mechanical systems," Lake says. "Putting the brains in the brawn, if you like." Lake says ZF is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the development of next-gen safety and automation systems. Its global automotive footprint lets the company spread research and development costs across multiple sectors, and then replicate new tech company-wide when the core engineering work is done in a specific sector, Lake said. ZF uses the tagline "See, Think, Act" — displayed prominently on the Innovation Truck's trailer — to define how its futuristic tech systems work. Vehicles of the future will use a bevy of sensory inputs (like the aforementioned cameras, radar and laser scanning) to "see" the road around them, says Sommer. They'll use high-powered computers and algorithms to "think" and make determinations based on what they see. Then, trucks and cars of the future will use smart hardware and components to "act"; they'll accelerate, decelerate and steer all on their own. Smart hardware components are the bedrock for ZF's seeing, thinking, acting concept. And it's that smart hardware that's the bedrock of the technologies on display in the Innovation Truck. CD