At first inspection, the truck owned by Javelin Robotics resembles any other Peterbilt 579. However, the "crown" of sensors that replaces the sun visor alludes at the technologically advanced upgrades below.
The prototype, dubbed Blackbird by its designers, represents Javelin's vision for highly autonomous Level 4 vehicles and has already been put to use by Canadian fleets.
The unit has completed flights between Toronto and Montreal, in addition to Toronto and Texas. According to co-founder and CEO Addwiteey Chrungoo, more than two dozen fleets representing some of the most recognizable brands on Toronto-area roads have formally expressed an intent to purchase 1,696 of the underlying systems.
He will not disclose which fleets are involved, citing non-disclosure agreements, but he emphasizes that they are small and medium-sized operations that other autonomous truck developers have largely overlooked.
More routes, select conditions
It is not the only distinction.
Instead of attempting to develop a vehicle that can operate autonomously along a specific corridor in all conditions, Javelin Robotics desires to serve a greater number of routes under specific conditions.
Chrungoo explains, "Our theory is that if we can drive 100% of the routes 30% of the time, you will actually deliver more value to businesses in the long run, as the driver shortage is not confined to a specific region."
The drivers of Javelin Robotics-equipped vehicles input their destinations into a navigation system and follow the recommended routes, which indicate where Level 4 controls can take over with the flip of a switch. Even climatic conditions are taken into account. When the conditions are favorable, the voyage is also monitored by close- and far-range RGB cameras, thermal cameras, LiDAR, and radar.
"It depends on geographic location. It's based on weather forecasts for those specific periods," he says, comparing the method to "robo taxis" that won't make unprotected left turns or operate near hospitals and schools.
"You have reasonably accurate estimates of where and when the weather will be. We are not required to drive autonomously in all of those conditions."
Chrungoo adds that by focusing on a "smaller pie", highly autonomous technologies could be scaled up more rapidly.
Working with co-drivers
Javelin Robotics also believes that human co-drivers will remain in the company's equipped taxis and will share driving duties with the autonomous equipment. The vision, however, is that when the truck's technology is in charge, the driver will be elsewhere in the cockpit, recording time as something other than "on-duty/driving" hours.
"As an industry, we've become too enamored with the concept of removing the driver," he says, referring to his colleagues. "In order to address labor shortages, it is not necessarily necessary for the truck to operate without a driver."
It is an approach that Javelin Robotics believes can better serve carriers with 100 to 1,500 trucks, which do not necessarily drive the same routes every day, lack the resources to transfer loads from one truck to another, and combine freight sourced from spot markets and contracts equally.
"It is impractical for them to utilize a driverless system that operates on a fixed route and requires them to have drivers at both ends of the spectrum," says Chrungoo.
He adds that a system devised independently from a single OEM also reflects the realities of mixed fleets.
Supported by Y Combinator
Chrungoo has prior experience with autonomous transportation. Before collaborating with the NEXT Canada business accelerator to establish Javelin Robotics, he was a motion planning engineer at the now-defunct Starsky Robotics. Y Combinator, which had previously invested in Starsky Robotics, has contributed $500,000.
Since December 2020, his "super nimble" five-person team, four of whom are based in Canada, has been moving forward.
"We've made significant progress with this team," says Chrungoo, referring to the evolution of the system. Even until recently, they operated out of a facility close to Pearson Airport in Toronto.
However, he will not disclose the number of test miles completed thus far, emphasizing that the focus should remain on the number of scenarios and conditions addressed. (Blackbird has even operated autonomously on highways with obscured lane markings due to snowfall.) According to him, a vehicle could travel "a gazillion miles in the middle of the night" without encountering any unique obstacles.
"It is not about the distance. It's all about the quality of the information you expose your system to."
As Canadian as the origins may appear to be, the path to commercialization appears to be more focused on the United States. Twenty-two states now regard Level 4 driving systems as licensed drivers, he says, referring to a significant regulatory change.
Ongoing operations on this side of the frontier may require a delay.
"The government is extremely supportive, and they recognize the need," he insists, citing Ontario pilot programs as an illustration. When the time is appropriate, I believe we will also pursue regulations in Canada.
