Volvo Introduces Autonomous Garbage Truck

Volvo is testing driverless big rigs, so perhaps it’s natural that the automaker has created an autonomous garbage truck. In collaboration with Swedish waste specialist Renova, Volvo is testing a unique refuse truck that can improve the trash collection process in urban areas.

The truck runs along a pre-programmed route and can drive itself from one trash bin to the next. Because the truck takes care of gear changes, steering, speed, other functions of driving, the trash collector no longer has to get in and out of the vehicle every time the truck moves to a new bin. Volvo says autonomous trucks have the potential to reduce job-related injuries, including knee problems that are common among refuse collection workers.

Autonomous technology can lower the environmental impact of refuse trucks since they can be programmed to drive as efficiently as possible. Of course, the trucks also promise increased safety thanks to a suite of sensors that can detect obstacles and respond to them immediately.

Much of the technology on the garbage truck comes from Volvo’s autonomous mining truck, which is currently being tested in mines in northern Sweden. The garbage truck pilot program runs until the end of 2017, and it’s unclear what Volvo plans in the future. Maybe another Jean Claude Van Damme spot? We can only hope.

Source: Volvo

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