A self-driving truck entering a roadway puts most of us a little on edge.
A self-driving truck entering a roadway with reversible lanes raises the stakes even higher.
But Amazon doesn’t appear to be concerned.
The giant online retailer was awarded a patent today for a self-driving system that includes descriptions on how autonomous vehicles will communicate and choose lanes when entering traffic—including those sometimes nerve-wracking reversible lanes that change the flow of traffic during rush hour.
Amazon does not single out trucks in its patent; instead a description in the 20 page document reads, “An autonomous vehicle can be a passenger automobile, mass transit vehicle, a commercial vehicle, street cleaning vehicle, law enforcement vehicle, emergency vehicle, or any other type of vehicle that can operate on the road.”
Late last year, Amazon acquired its own trucks to transport products between Amazon warehouses. The retail giant also has a fleet of panel delivery trucks. Below are two tables from the 20-page patent.
