Image: tusimple.com
If you’ve ever taken a road trip between Phoenix and Tucson, you know that trucks are a common sight. But have you ever seen a truck without a driver?
If you were on the road on Dec. 22, you might have seen just that! A company announced that it had successfully completed a semi-tractor truck drive on Interstate 10 from Tucson to Phoenix with no human in the truck and no human intervention along the way. This was the world’s first such run without a driver!
TuSimple, an AUTONOMOUS driving technology company, said the 80-mile trip was the first of its kind on open public roads in a class 8 truck. The truck was completedly operated by the company’s Autonomous Driving System, or ADS.
TuSimple said they worked closely with the Arizona Department of Transportation and law enforcement. The company also used a survey vehicle that drove five miles ahead of the truck, keeping an eye out for any potential complications. An oversight vehicle was also following the autonomous truck about a half mile behind. Law enforcement vehicles accompanied the truck as well.
The truck’s journey started at a Tucson railyard and followed surface streets and highways. The truck navigated traffic signals, on-ramps and off-ramps, lane changes, an other vehicles on the road. The journey came to an end after a 1-hour-and-20-minute drive when the truck reached a high-volume distribution center in the Valley.
“This year, we were laser-focused on putting our technology through a rigorous test on open public roads under real-world conditions, and to see all our hard work and dedication come together is extremely rewarding,” said Cheng Lu, President and CEO of TuSimple, in a written statement.
TuSimple is based in San Diego and has an office in Tucson. The company claims its virtual driver can be operated for less money than traditional trucking operations while operating nearly continuously and reducing fuel consumption by at least 10 percent.
Brilliant Children’s Books Earn Top Medals
A science fiction novel about being humankind’s last hope after the Earth is destroyed and a picture book about a stop by the side of a rural Ohio road that helps a girl connect to her Chinese roots NABBED top honors from the American Library Association (ALA) on Jan. 24.
“The Last Cuentista,” by Donna Barba Higuera, and “Watercress,” illustrated by Jason Chin are the “best of the best” children’s books published last year, earning the 2022 John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott medals, respectively.
This is the 100th anniversary of the Newbery Medal, which is awarded to the author of the most distinguished children’s book published in the United States. In “The Last Cuentista,” young Petra Peña wants to be a storyteller like her Abuelita. But when a comet strikes Earth, she and her family are part of a few hundred chosen to journey to a new planet. Find out what makes her so special! Recommended for young readers ages 10 to teen.
The Newbery Honor Books are also great reads. For 2022 they are: “Red, White, and Whole,” by Rajani LaRocca; “A Snake Falls to Earth,” by Darcie Little Badger; “Too Bright to See,” by Kyle Lukoff, and “Watercress.”
The awards end with ALA picks for the Caldecott and Newberry medals, the most PRESTIGIOUS and oldest awards for American children’s books. 22 awards.
The Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book goes to illustrator Jason Chin for his Chinese-influenced watercolor paintings for “Watercress,” an autobiographical story by Andrea Wang. Her parents emigrated from China, and she tells the story of them suddenly stopping their old Pontiac and having her and her brother harvest watercress growing in the frigid water of a ditch alongside a cornfield. This foraging has meaning and helps the young girl connect to her heritage. Recommended for readers ages 4–8.
The 2022 Caldecott Honor Books are “Have You Ever Seen a Flower?,” “Mell Fell,” “Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre” and “Wonder Walkers.”
