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Kodiak and Atlas have already accomplished their first driverless supply of frac sand in West Texas. | Supply: Kodiak Robotics
Kodiak Robotics Inc. at the moment stated it should outfit new Atlas Vitality Options Inc. high-capacity vehicles with its autonomy expertise. Below the phrases of the partnership, Kodiak will present its expertise through a driver-as-a-service licensing settlement.
The businesses have already accomplished their first driverless supply within the Permian Basin of West Texas. Throughout the 21-mile supply, a Kodiak-equipped car transported high-quality frac sand from an Atlas depot to a wellsite with nobody contained in the cab.
Along with the settlement, Atlas has additionally positioned an order for Kodiak-equipped driverless vehicles that can ship frac sand throughout the Permian Basin’s current infrastructure of personal lease roads. Early subsequent yr, Atlas plans to launch industrial operations utilizing its first two vehicles geared up with the Kodiak Driver.
“Deploying driverless vehicles with Atlas marks the start of a brand new period for autonomous automobiles,” stated Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak. “Our partnership with Atlas will make us the primary autonomous semi-truck firm to ascertain industrial driverless operations, and the primary firm to make autonomous trucking an actual enterprise. We stay up for scaling our trucking product not solely within the Permian Basin, but in addition over the street.”
Based in 2018 by a gaggle of trade veterans, Kodiak designs techniques for autonomous motion. The Mountain View, Calif.-based firm accomplished its first industrial supply in 2019 and has been working towards driverless deliveries since then.
Earlier this yr, Kodiak launched its sixth-generation, driverless-ready semi-truck. It designed its self-driving truck for scaled deployment and builds on 5 years of real-world testing. This testing included 5,000 hundreds carried over greater than 2.5 million miles.
Contained in the driver-as-a-service settlement
Below driver-as-a-service licensing, Atlas will personal the vehicles, and Kodiak will present its absolutely redundant, platform-agnostic {hardware} and software program stack. The autonomy developer may also present operational assist companies, together with distant monitoring from its operations heart in Lancaster, Texas.
“Atlas’s partnership with Kodiak is one other instance of the distinctive tradition of innovation that’s pervasive inside our group,” stated John Turner, CEO of Atlas.
Kodiak stated it designed its {hardware} and software program stack for scalable driverless deployment. The corporate claimed that its expertise supplies 360º visibility, fixed self-diagnosis, and contingencies for something surprising.
The system contains a number of elements. First are SensorPads, which home cameras, lidars, and radars. Kodiak stated it will possibly simply combine the sensors into any car, giving the Kodiak Driver the instruments it must see all the things round it.
Subsequent is Guardian, a high-integrity custom-designed security pc that interacts with redundant braking and steering techniques. This ensures that if a single level of failure is detected, the car can at all times be delivered to a secure cease.
As well as, the system makes use of Kodiak Maps, which will be simply created robotically by the Kodiak Driver or from satellite tv for pc imagery. The firm stated these maps include all the things wanted to drive safely in any surroundings and are always being up to date.
Atlas supplies proving floor for Kodiak expertise
The recent and dry local weather within the Permian Basin makes it one of many world’s most difficult environments for truck drivers. The Kodiak Driver, alternatively, is provided to deal with driving by means of harsh situations, together with excessive warmth and dirt storms that have an effect on visibility.
“The Permian Basin’s expansive private-lease street community, which expands throughout the Delaware and Midland Basins, is a perfect surroundings during which to introduce autonomous trucking in North America,” stated Chris Scholla, chief provide chain officer at Atlas. “With common visitors speeds of below 20 mph on these giant swaths of personal roads, we are able to safely ship a extra dependable last-mile resolution to our prospects within the Permian Basin. This actually represents a step-change in oilfield logistics.”
Kodiak stated its expertise wants to have the ability to navigate dust roads, and it already has in depth dust street driving expertise from its work with the U.S. Division of Protection. The corporate has additionally partnered with Ryder to ascertain a truckport in Houston.
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