The Swedish furniture store is working with US start-up Kodiak Robotics, which is developing autonomous driving systems for trucks. The implementation of the project was agreed with them. For safety, there will still be a human driver on board who can intervene if necessary. However, the goal is for the entire tour to be completed by the robotic pilot alone.
The track chosen for this is in the US state of Texas. Ikea operates a department store near Houston. A semi-trailer leaves there every day to restock a furniture store near Dallas to restock the products that have been sold. In the future, journeys will be made by the autonomous vehicle.
Kodiak Robotics shows its autonomous trucks in action
Competition still manageable
Kodiak boss Don Burnette explained that it was not his intention to force truckers out of the market, although this will surely be an inevitable consequence at some point, at least to a large extent. Rather, according to Burnette, it’s about enabling drivers to have a better and easier working life. “Adopting autonomous trucking technology can improve the quality of life of drivers by focusing on the local driving jobs they love the most,” he said.
Robotic systems, on the other hand, take over long distances. These are quite monotonous, especially on regular journeys, and often also ensure that drivers cannot go home to their families at the end of the day. For the time being, therefore, competition should be limited with such a distribution, as shipping companies still cannot find enough staff to cover all routes.
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Logo, Ikea, furniture
mastrinda / CC0
