Locomation Completes On-Road Pilot Showcasing Autonomous Trucking Technology to Midwest State Regulators

As Part of the SmartBelt Coalition, Transportation Agencies in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan Participated in the Demonstration

PITTSBURGH, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Locomation, the leading provider of safe and reliable autonomous trucking technology, today announced the successful completion of an on-road pilot program intended to showcase autonomous trucking technology for the SmartBelt Coalition (SBC), a collaboration of five transportation agencies and seven research and academic institutions, located throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Over the course of one week, two Locomation trucks performed three separate interstate routes under close observation from representatives of all involved organizations.

Formed in 2016, the SmartBelt Coalition’s role is to foster collaboration amongst multiple agencies and research affiliates from Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, involving research, testing, policy, standards development, deployments, outreach, and funding pursuits in the area of connected and automated vehicle technology as well as other innovations in the transportation industry.

“Autonomous technology will not move ahead without the full support of government regulators and we are proud to take part in demonstrating our platform and in helping to inform public policy decisions,” said Dr. Çetin Meriçli, CEO and Co-Founder of Locomation. “The SmartBelt Coalition is a prime example of the importance of collaboration across states, agencies and institutions to set the stage for the deployment of real world autonomous trucking. Our participation is further validation that we’re on the most direct path to driving real world solutions for autonomous trucking.”

In this most recent demonstration, two Locomation trucks completed several routes through each of the three states, including one that started at the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and delivered food donations to families in need in Toledo, OH. Locomation’s Autonomous Relay Convoy (ARC) platform allows one driver to pilot a lead truck equipped with technology augmentation while a follower truck operates in tandem through Locomation’s fully autonomous system.

This pilot is another milestone for Locomation following several announcements this fall including the world’s first autonomous trucking technology purchase order with Wilson Logistics and a new technology collaboration with NVIDIA.

About Locomation

Locomation is the leading provider of safe and reliable autonomous trucking technology. Locomation’s first product in an upcoming series is the Autonomous Relay Convoy (ARC^TM), which enables one driver to pilot a lead truck while a follower truck works in tandem made possible by a fully autonomous driving system. Launched in 2018 by autonomy experts at Carnegie Mellon’s National Robotics Engineering Center and trucking industry veterans, the Locomation team includes some of the world’s foremost specialists in robotics technology, safety, and artificial intelligence along with highly experienced trucking industry executives. Learn more at https://locomation.ai

About the SmartBelt Coalition

Formed in 2016 the SmartBelt Coalition (SBC) is a strategic transportation collaborative comprised of 12 organizations, including five transportation agencies and seven research and academic institutions, located throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The purpose of the SBC is to foster collaboration amongst multiple agencies and research affiliates from Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, involving research, testing, policy, standards development, deployments, outreach, and funding pursuits in the area of connected and automated vehicle technology as well as other innovations in the transportation industry.