Scania AXL, the autonomous mine truck with no cab

Autonomous cars are something that is increasingly present in our daily lives, but applications of these technologies can be seen in more and more vehicles of all kinds. The proof is the creation of the Scania AXL, a heavy truck designed to be fully autonomous and not to depend on a driver to operate. So much so that it does away with a cab entirely.

It is not Scania’s first autonomous truck, but until now all of them had a cab with room for a driver who could act in an emergency. The Scania AXL replaces this cab with an intelligent head fitted with sensors, LIDAR radar and GPS, among other technology that allows it to be fully autonomous.

However, this Scania prototype has a small catch, since it has been designed to carry out work in mines and similar installations. That is, on small, enclosed and controlled sites. It is not a vehicle that could operate on the road, although its function would be fulfilled in these controlled environments, where a logistics service would indicate the route and the manoeuvres to be carried out.

Another feature of the Scania AXL is that it is not an electric truck, but instead has an internal combustion engine that runs on biofuel. According to the company, this is a way of combining the latest electronic technology with more traditional combustion engine technology.

With the Scania AXL, the company within the Volkswagen Group aims to bring to market the first autonomous heavy truck for operating in controlled spaces, with the consequent saving of personnel and time for the company. The prototype does not yet have all the answers needed to create the autonomous truck that is expected to be in operation, but it is certainly a considerable step forward and will allow Scania’s engineers to continue working on its development.

https://youtu.be/8bX48KVeN2U