Aurora, the much-discussed self-driving semi truck startup, has announced that it has reached its “feature complete” milestone.
In an interview with Fast Company, CEO Chris Urmson says that the company is now running their new Aurora Driver Beta 6.0 software, and that “all the parts are in place.” Urmson qualifies this statement by saying, “It may not work as well as it needs to launch the truck yet, but it’s taking a huge amount of risk off the table, because it means we’ve got a solution for all of it, and we just need to refine.”
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With truck drivers becoming an increasingly rare commodity, auto-driving freight vehicles are becoming a more attractive option in the industry, meaning Aurora, and other companies like them are collaborating with their peers while building on existing technology. Aurora has bought out Uber’s self-driving unit, and has partnered with companies such as Volvo, Uber Freight, and Toyota.
When the technology is ready, companies like Aurora should prove to be a major boon to supply chains around the world. Be sure to take a look at Urmson’s interview with Fast Company for additional insights on how Aurora is inching toward being road-ready.
