The autonomization of special vehicles is becoming increasingly important. In principle, automation refers to a preliminary stage of autonomous driving in which individual functions such as braking, steering or accelerating are taken over by the automated system. In terms of road traffic, only partially automated driving is currently possible, in which the driver retains full responsibility. Autonomous driving is categorized into levels zero to five, with level five describing autonomous operation that makes driver intervention impossible. In level zero, this vehicle technology is completely dispensed with and the driver takes over all driving tasks independently. As things stand today, we are at level two. Sub-tasks such as lane change assist or automatic emergency braking are already possible.
Even in the automation of special vehicles, humans are still responsible for controlling the system and steering it as required. They are referred to as non-autonomous or semi-autonomous systems. The next stage would be the fully autonomous system, which manages without human control and steering. An AI is responsible for these tasks. Autonomous special vehicles are therefore still in the test phase.
Automated guided vehicles
Although various car manufacturers are already working on autonomous driving systems, initial successes have been achieved primarily with driverless transportation systems for goods and merchandise. This is less about traditional passenger vehicles and more about systems with storage space that transport a specific good from A to B. Examples include driverless transport systems that carry medicines through a war zone without the risk of personal injury. Special vehicle construction for the military in particular benefits from this technology, although most solutions are extremely cost-intensive and high security standards must be adhered to for effective data transmission and protection against misuse. Nevertheless, the future lies in this automation of special vehicles.
