A close-up look at the Waabi VNL Autonomous
Volvo Autonomous Solutions has been busy. The autonomous arm of this truck OEM has not one, but two partnerships with autonomous truck developers.
Both Waabi and Aurora Innovation boast production-ready versions of the Volvo VNL Autonomous.
The Aurora-powered VNL Autonomous has been the star of the show lately: The vast majority of VNL Autonomous appearances—from trade show floors to YouTube marketing to the VNL Autonomous’s webpage—use Aurora’s publicly traded technology.
Privately funded Waabi’s technology, meanwhile, has received less fanfare.
But the VNL Autonomous, powered by Waabi, is an interesting machine. The truck was most recently on display at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Las Vegas.
Waabi’s model is developed in tandem with the folks at Volvo, aiming for a safe, efficient, production-ready model. Waabi’s influence on the design is most apparent in the model’s sensor configuration and, of course, its virtual driver.
It is easier to illustrate the sensor configuration than the virtual driver, of course. While trucking media waits for an opportunity to ride in one of the VNL Autonomous models, for now, we can all enjoy the spectacle of cutting-edge autonomous truck hardware.
To view photos of the truck at the expo, click the media gallery above.
The Waabi VNL Autonomous's perception hardware
Like most other autonomous trucks today, the Waabi-powered VNL Autonomous has multiple clusters of different sensors arranged above the truck cabin.
The top sensor rack on the VNL Autonomous can be divided into three distinct groups of sensors: two protruding clusters on the sides and one cluster in the center of the rack. Each cluster has its own blend of radar, lidar, and camera components, strategically placed for the best perception.
The sensor clusters that protrude on the sides, sometimes called sensor pods (not to be confused with Kodiak's SensorPods), are much smaller on the Waabi VNL than on other autonomous trucks.
LEDs to replace traffic cones in autonomous trucks
A previous challenge for autonomous vehicles was that they could not place reflective triangles when they were pulled over on the side of the road, as required by federal law.
Lately, though, autonomous trucks have started to receive federal approval to use LED warning beacons in place of reflective triangles. In the sensor pod pictures here, you can barely make out where the warning beacon would appear: the shape of a sideways 'T' near the outer end of the component.
Comparison of Waabi's and Aurora's side sensors
Both the Aurora and Waabi models of the autonomous truck were on display at this year's Advanced Clean Transportation Expo. Stealing the spotlight again, the Aurora model occupied Volvo's expo booth for the duration of the show, while the Waabi model decorated the main stage area for a shorter time.
Compared to the Aurora VNL Autonomous (right), Waabi's protruding sensor pod (left) is certainly much more compact. In my opinion, while both designs are slick, the Waabi pod's smaller build is a bit more charismatic. The 'W' logo on the end is a nice touch, too. One has to wonder how aerodynamic performance would change between the two components.
Check out the media gallery above for a closer look at the Waabi-powered VNL Autonomous, as well as a few more comparisons with the Aurora model.
About the Author
Jeremy Wolfe
Editor
Editor Jeremy Wolfe joined the FleetOwner team in February 2024. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with majors in English and Philosophy. He previously served as Editor for Endeavor Business Media's Water Group publications.