In Stockholm, Scania tested the efficiency of the braking system and the ability of autonomous trucks to react to the appearance of a third-party car.
Four Skania trucks with a wireless communication system for driving Slipstream cars went to the runway in Stockholm for testing, the essence of which was to check the braking systems of the truck column and the ability of autonomous vehicles to let other participants in the traffic.

The first car under the control of the test driver performed the function of the driver, and the three following trucks followed the unmanned caravan mode. Although they also had experienced drivers, they performed more of an observer role, ready, in an extreme situation, to intervene in the process.

During the test of the braking system, unmanned trucks quickly and clearly reacted to the behavior of the leading car. As soon as the first machine slowed down, the rest also dropped speed. With a sudden deceleration of the driver, the rest of the cars in the column reacted instantly.

The test for determining the "foreign" car in the caravan was that Gunnar Tornmalm, the head of Scania's automation department, simulated the overtaking process on a car and wedged himself into a column of trucks that were running autonomously behind the leading car. To such behavior of the "outside" participant of the movement, unmanned trucks reacted by increasing the interval between themselves, giving a comfortable space to the "foreign object". When Gunnar Thornmalm's car left the column, the autonomous vehicles again shortened the distance.

Such tests approximate the use of autopilot machines to optimize transport logistics and introduce similar solutions to commercial traffic.

"I hope that the first larger-scale tests will begin in three years and will take place on public roads," says Gunnar Thornmalm, head of automation at Scania.

A source: https://t-magazine.ru/news/2018/scania-karavan