If you were on U.S. Route 33 near Dublin or Marysville on Wednesday, you might have seen a self-driving truck. It was built by OTTO, a subsidiary of ride sharing company Uber, and it’s part of an effort to make Route 33 a superhighway for transportation technology.
The self-driving truck test from Dublin to East Liberty was coordinated by the Ohio Department of Transportation and comes as part of a collaboration involving Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research, Honda, and Union County.
The state is kicking in $15 million for the project, which includes a fiber-optic network and road sensors set to be installed next year.
“It’s a good investment for us,” says ODOT spokesman Matt Bruning.
“Not only will putting that fiber and the sensors in help those self-driving and autonomous and connected vehicles navigate the 33 corridor, but we’ll also be able to get data back at ODOT,” Bruning says.
Bruning says they can use that data in ODOT’s traffic apps and web site. It will also let road crews which areas might need more road salt during the winter months.
Self-driving vehicles are different from “driverless” vehicles in that they have a person behind the wheel ready to take control if necessary.
