Isuzu unveils its autonomous truck prototype ahead of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show

Autonomous driving wants to be part of the most immediate future of the automotive industry and is increasingly present in concept projects. Several of these prototypes move away from the world of passenger cars and approach the heavy transport industry. Isuzu is going along these lines and plans to present an autonomous truck prototype called FL IR Truck, which we can see in images released ahead of its presentation at the Japanese event.

The Isuzu FL IR Truck is reportedly based on the figure of marine creatures that use ultrasound to navigate the sea, so its design adopts an aesthetic reminiscent of a shark. In this way, its look is more attractive and appears more dynamic and efficient. The Isuzu autonomous truck is marked by small LED headlights at the front. The brand is clearly visible on a dark blue plate and a large panoramic windscreen.

Combined autonomous driving technology

The autonomous driving technology used by this truck not only allows it to move on its own on long road journeys and motorways. These autonomous driving systems include connectivity with other units of this model, which allow the vehicles following the lead truck of the convoy to be linked to it. This means that all the trucks in the convoy monitor what the first truck does and use the data it collects and its manoeuvres as the basis for following the route.

This technology will allow several trucks to travel autonomously, complementing the information each one receives with that received from the rest of the trucks, in order to improve the performance of the autonomous driving systems. This technology is still in testing and has not reached the level of development of the more widely used systems. For this reason, the prototype is still very basic and no detailed data on its operation has been provided, nor on its level of development.

We have not seen what has been prepared in the cabin either, so we will have to wait for the opening of the Tokyo Motor Show and everything they reveal there to learn more about the projects of this Japanese company and what it will offer as new developments in autonomous driving technology.