The self-driving semi, outfitted with 25 laser, radar and camera sensors, is owned by Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation Inc. Late this year, Aurora plans to start hauling freight on Interstate 45 between the Dallas and Houston areas with 20 driverless trucks.The technology isn't fanciful anymore - I acknowledge that - but I still suspect the economic case is much less than its boosters claim.
Within three or four years, Aurora and its competitors expect to put thousands self-driving trucks on America’s public freeways. The goal is for the trucks, which can run nearly around the clock without breaks, to speed the flow of goods, accelerating delivery times.
I mean, to put it simply, truck drivers don't make that much money these days, and any self-driving operation will still need significant behind-the-scenes support. It's not very clear that replacing drivers is really a big cost saver!
Of course automation has long replaced/complemented lower wage workers, but it's generally of the "big machine/big computer replaces hundreds of workers" variety not of the "big machine/big computer replaces one worker" variety.
And like everything else, unless applications and production of the big machinecomputer scale, it won't be cheap!