Operating a tractor-trailer rig is fraught with uncertainty in any type of setting. But this becomes much worse when entering the tight quarters of multiple delivery points, increasing the security risk. Working with Spartan Radar, Philips Connect is adding advanced sensing capabilities to give drivers a new level of situational awareness of hazards next to and behind the trailer.
For example, when a truck driver is parked at a loading dock behind your neighborhood grocery store, there are myriad potential obstacles – such as parked cars, bicycles parked here and there, other trucks, and the grocery store’s sidewalks. Employees wander around while talking on their phones. A cigarette during their break.
Not only this. Just getting to the loading dock can have its own dangers, such as a tight intersection in a shopping center designed for cars that is treacherous for a very large tractor-trailer rig. A small mistake can result in serious tire damage if a trailer tire scratches the curb.
Philips Connect, the leader in the trailertech field, sees a way through these challenges so that bumps, scratches and tragedies don’t have to be faced by partnering with radar sensor software company Spartan Radar.
The Philips family of companies includes Philips Industries, Philips Connect and Philips Innovation. Philips Connect focuses on monitoring key trailer data, such as location, temperature, running lights status, fault codes and more. According to Phillips, a fleet of 2000 trailers driving 400 miles a day would see cost savings of more than $1M per year.
Spartan Radar has developed software that can be applied to today’s radar to “unlock the full value of radar for the safe and reliable movement of people and things.” Spartan says their offering can detect moving and stationary objects while minimizing nuisance and false alerts.
The Philips-Spartan collaboration will bring a new level of object detection, assisted docking, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping and cargo monitoring to the Philips product line.
Given all the sophistication in the vehicle sector, one has to ask the question – why have truck drivers not had the benefit of sophisticated sensing on the trailer for many years? this is complex. Large freight carriers have “power units” i.e. truck tractors, but they do not have the trailers they haul. Trailers connect and disconnect from the trucks just like we do when we jump in and out of ride-hailing vehicles while exploring a big new city. When technology is added to a trailer, the trailer owner must bear the cost, even though the safety benefits primarily accrue to the tractor owner.
In recent years cameras have entered trailertech, providing value to the driver. Phillips says it’s a whole other world of safety when radar sensors can see and identify threats. Drivers maneuvering through complex spaces are processing their world at multiple levels simultaneously. During rainy days a nearby pedestrian may not appear prominently in the camera feed and may be missed.
What market forces are driving trailers to get smarter? This makes sensing systems more sophisticated while reducing costs. Both asset owners benefit: increased safety for the operator of the truck tractor along with avoidance of trailer damage for the trailer owner.
Speaking about this new partnership, Rob Phillips, CEO of the Phillips Family of Companies, said, “We are always looking for ways to provide more value to our customers and make our roads safer for everyone. This partnership with Spartan builds on that.” A big step forward.” Direction. There are many opportunities to continue to grow technology in our region, and I’m excited to see what we can do together.”
“We’re seeing more and more types of safety features for passenger cars, now let’s bring a great combination of radar and vision to commercial vehicles,” said Dr. Matt Markel, CEO of Spartan Radar. The partnership between Philips and Spartan will not only save lives but our technologies will also save time and money for fleets around the world.
Potentially, future products could take advantage of these sensors to not only warn the driver about a potential problem, but also trigger automated responses such as automatic docking/parking, curb running mitigation, and automatic braking. Phillips says new electrical interfaces now being considered by standards organizations will allow this level of integration with truck operating systems, further increasing the value of trailer-based active sensing.
