MAN ATLAS-L4: Autonomous on the Highway

In 2021, Germany became one of the first countries to establish the legal framework for autonomous driving on public roads, thus positioning itself at the forefront internationally. MAN Bus & Truck took the second, equally important step on January 1, 2022, with the launch of the Atlas-L4 research and development project (Automated Transport between Logistics Centers on Highways Level 4). The driverless truck is thus set to become a reality step by step. Initially, according to Dr. Frederik Zohm, Head of Research and Development, the focus is on testing how the law can be brought to life so that an autonomous driving truck can actually operate in compliance with regulations on German roads.

In its ambitious plans, MAN receives competent support from its project partners: Knorr-Bremse, Leoni, Bosch, Fernride, BTC Embedded Systems, Fraunhofer Aisec, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Braunschweig, TÜV SÜD, Autobahn GmbH and Würzburger Institute for Traffic Sciences (WIVW GmbH). Together with them, the Munich-based truck manufacturer wants to bring the autonomous truck onto the road.

Important milestones reached

Now the project partners took stock for the first time during an event in Munich on October 24, 2023 – 22 months after the kick-off. The endeavor, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, has already reached important milestones, Zohm said. Even though there were some delays right after the project started, not only due to Corona but also due to the war in Ukraine, he sees the project on a good path:

“With Atlas-L4, an autonomous driving truck will soon be driving on a highway in Germany for the first time,” he states as the common goal of the twelve project partners. “With this, we aim to contribute to hub-to-hub automation, i.e., driverless shuttling between logistics yards, and thus to more safety, more efficiency, and fewer traffic jams on the roads – automation concepts can also address the driver shortage.”

Sensor Vehicle for Data Collection

By the end of 2024 – the project’s duration – an industry-grade concept for the operation of automated trucks on the highway should be available. Zohm is confident that this goal will be achieved. MAN, as the project manager for the overall system development, has already built a prototype vehicle. It is characterized by sensors on the roof, on the front, and on the sides of the driver's cabin as well as built-in computers inside.

This truck initially serves as a sensor vehicle for data collection before functional development for autonomous driving, including initial test drives on the highway with a safety driver, begins. The vehicle has already covered its first kilometers at MAN’s test site in Munich. Functionalities and interfaces were put to the test: for the first time, the components communicated with each other, and for the first time, the sensors conducted a realistic environmental detection.

The safety-relevant subsystems for the Level 4 architecture, such as the onboard power supply, steering, and redundant braking system, are also designed and have already been successfully tested in initial prototypes.