This keynote recap is from FreightWaves’ Autonomous & Electric Vehicles Summit on Wednesday.
FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Why autonomous trucking is really a science project
DETAILS: Industry pioneer Don Burnette explains why experimentation has been key to the development of autonomous trucking technology — and that the industry is poised to leap to a viable commercial product. He talks with FreightWaves Detroit Bureau Chief Alan Adler.
SPEAKER: Burnette is the co-founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics.
BIO: Burnette began his career working as the software technology lead for Google’s self-driving car project, the precursor to Waymo. He went on to found the first self-driving truck startup, Otto. He co-founded Kodiak Robotics two years after Uber acquired Otto. Kodiak has focused its efforts on developing technology for autonomous long-haul trucking.
KEY QUOTES FROM BURNETTE
“Trial and error is what makes significant progress at the end of the day.”
“I think we are at a pivotal moment in the autonomous industry. It’s no longer a question of if the technology’s going to happen. But I believe it’s a question of when.”
“Now what comes next? … Building your safety case — that’s the comprehensive evaluation that proves for us that this Kodiak driver is going to be safer than the average truck driver.”
