The contest encourages high school juniors and seniors to imagine and discuss a future that includes automated vehicles and write about what this technology could mean for their communities, with a choice of three provided essay prompts related to AV technology and its societal effects. The winning essays were selected from over 100 submissions, and a committee of experts from the AV ecosystem scored the student essays.
The winners of the 2022-2023 PAVE Essay Contest in the Albuquerque, N.M. area are:
“Autonomous vehicles offer an opportunity for us to improve road safety, to provide new mobility options for our communities, and to make our transportation system more efficient, more equitable, and more sustainable – but at the same time, there are new challenges that we need to think through,” said PAVE Executive Director Tara Andringa, quoted in the PAVE press release. “The PAVE Essay Contest encourages young people to think about these new technologies and share their thoughts about the opportunities for society as well as how we can address challenges that could arise. We were thrilled that so many students participated in the contest, and we are excited to congratulate the winners!”
The newly inaugurated annual essay contest will be open to students in selected nationwide locations. The three locations for this year’s contests were Washington, D.C., Albuquerque, N.M., and Athens and Vinton Counties in Southeast Ohio. In each location, companies and organizations will sponsor the contest and donate the scholarship funding: the Washington, D.C., contest was sponsored by STEER Tech; the Albuquerque contest was sponsored by Torc; and the Ohio contest was sponsored by Transportation Research Center, Inc. and DriveOhio.
C.R. England and Torc Robotics will work together on long-haul autonomous trucking pilots
BLACKSBURG, VA – May 9, 2023 – Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG and a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, today announced its strategic collaboration with C.R. England, one of North America’s premier transportation companies. Torc and C.R. England will implement a pilot program leveraging C.R. England’s temperature-controlled loads and Torc’s fleet of Level 4 autonomous test trucks for long-haul applications. The collaboration will serve as an expansion for Torc into refrigerated freight.
C.R. England and Torc are excited to participate in this joint pilot, which will provide select customers with temperature-controlled capacity and world-class service. Information from the pilot will include unique insights, and will help guide the development and ongoing commercialization of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications. Initial planning will begin mid-2023, with on-road tests soon after.
“Torc is thrilled to be partnering with C.R. England to better improve long-haul trucking safety for one of the premium service providers and largest refrigerated carriers in the nation,” said Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc Robotics CEO. “The data derived from the pilot will contribute to our safety and validation efforts and use cases for autonomous trucking.”
“C.R. England is excited to announce our partnership with Torc for pilot activities on level 4 autonomous test trucks. We believe this innovation will eventually provide the ability to expand our network safely, with high levels of service to our customers, all while enhancing the quality of existing driver jobs,” says Chad England, C.R. England CEO. “Specifically, by adding autonomous lanes to our network, we can expand our customer offerings and create more structured jobs for drivers at both ends of autonomous runs. Torc’s deep integration with Daimler Truck AG makes our two organizations a perfect fit for piloting this new technology.”
The pilot program with C.R. England is Torc’s second announced carrier pilot. This news comes on the heels of Torc’s recently announced acquisition of Algolux for its award-winning intellectual property and expertise in computer vision and machine learning.
Torc’s deep integration with Daimler Truck AG makes our two organizations a perfect fit for piloting this new technology.
Chad England, C.R. England CEO
ABOUT TORC ROBOTICS
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 17 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas, and Stuttgart, Germany. Torc’s mission is saving lives with autonomous technology, which incorporates reducing highway deaths, enabling critical supplies – including medicines and foods – to reach every community in a timely manner, and helping the transportation industry increase fuel economy, uptime, and capacity.
ABOUT C.R. ENGLAND
Founded in 1920, C.R. England is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT and is one of North America’s premier transportation providers. The company is an industry leader in Dedicated, Over-The-Road, cross-border Mexico, Intermodal, and Logistics services. C.R. England has been regularly recognized for management excellence. This year, the company was recognized by Newsweek as one of ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women,’ and ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.’ Additionally, C.R. England was recently honored by The Wall Street Journal as a ‘US Best Managed Company,’ by Glassdoor with their ‘Top Places to Work’ award, and by Achievers with their ‘50 Most Engaged Workplaces™ Award.’ C.R. England is committed to giving back to the community by fighting childhood hunger. With each load delivered, the company feeds a child, with the goal of feeding one million children per year.
With over 18 years of experience, King’s leadership will help propel Torc’s product development efforts
BLACKSBURG, VA., May 2, 2023 – Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, has brought C.J. King on board as Chief Engineering Officer. King, who was previously Vice President of Software Engineering at HERE Technologies, brings more than 18 years of engineering, software, hardware, and autonomous expertise to the company. His leadership will drive the unification of all Torc’s engineering efforts to align with the company’s roadmap and key milestones. King’s experience on a global scale will support Torc’s Engineering team in its preparations for the commercial launch of Torc’s autonomous truck solution.
“Further strengthening our executive leadership team, C.J. is a critical hire on Torc’s path toward the commercialization of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S.,” commented Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc Robotics’ CEO. “C.J. is a seasoned leader with the skillset and experience to propel Torc’s engineering efforts and vision forward, and we are thrilled for him to begin his work alongside the team.”
King has extensive expertise in product development, managing global, diverse teams, technology optimizations and new-system implementations as a result of his previous roles at HERE Technologies and as a Senior Software Development Manager at Amazon, where he led the Native Cloud Re-Architecture Engineering team. King also spent time at Ford Motor Company, where he oversaw their product development team for virtual driver development and at Toyota Motor Corporation, functioning as chief architect for next -generation multimedia systems and driving rapid integration of the latest consumer technology into automotive.
“From the start of discussions with the Torc team, it was clear that each and every team member was driven to truly transform the trucking industry,” commented King. “I look forward to collaborating and growing with this top-notch team as we continue to further develop Torc’s autonomous technology and products.”
ABOUT TORC ROBOTICS
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 17 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas, and Stuttgart, Germany. Torc’s mission is saving lives with autonomous technology, which incorporates reducing highway deaths, enabling critical supplies – including medicines and foods – to reach every community in a timely manner, and helping the transportation industry increase fuel economy, uptime, and capacity.
I look forward to collaborating and growing with this top-notch team as we continue to further develop Torc’s autonomous technology and products.
(Blacksburg, Va. – Feb. 28, 2023) Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG and a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire Algolux Inc. Torc is acquiring Algolux for its award-winning intellectual property and expertise in the areas of computer vision and machine learning.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Algolux to the Torc family,” said Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc CEO. “Algolux’s technology, at the intersection of deep learning, computer vision, and computational imaging, will help Torc strengthen key capabilities toward our commercialization of Level 4 autonomous trucking.”
“Torc shares in our commitment to create robust technology to realize the potential of autonomy and help save lives, which is one of the many reasons why joining forces makes sense for our teams, ” said Allan Benchetrit, Algolux president and CEO. “Algolux’s established team with deep expertise in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) talent and perception complements Torc’s already experienced engineering team.”
“This acquisition brings together Algolux’s end-to-end AI stack, from photons to behavior, with Torc’s pioneering autonomous technology. Add in a tightly integrated OEM truck platform and you have a dream scenario,” said Felix Heide, Algolux CTO. “While many think of autonomous transportation as futuristic, this winning combination will help bring to market a commercially viable, safety-critical long-haul trucking application at scale.”
Algolux has been consistently recognized for excellence in its field and has been named to the 2021 CB Insights AI 100 List of the world’s most innovative artificial intelligence startups. Torc has been working closely with the company for over a year on multiple perception concepts and methods for robustly improving object detection and distance estimation, while evaluating synergies between the two companies. Robust perception technology is key to helping Torc’s autonomous system correctly identify objects in difficult visual conditions such as low light, fog, or inclement weather. Algolux software is currently operating on initial Freightliner Cascadia test vehicles and is being included in areas of Torc’s software development efforts.
Algolux is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with offices in Palo Alto, CA, and Munich, Germany. The transaction will close after the parties complete various pre-closing activities, including any required approvals.
Allan Benchetrit, president and CEO of Algolux, and Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc CEO, on acquisition signing day.
Algolux’s technology, at the intersection of deep learning, computer vision, and computational imaging, will help Torc strengthen key capabilities toward our commercialization of Level 4 autonomous trucking.
Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc CEO
About Torc Robotics
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 17 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas, and Stuttgart, Germany. Torc’s mission is saving lives with autonomous technology, which incorporates reducing highway deaths, enabling critical supplies – including medicines and foods – to reach every community in a timely manner, and helping the transportation industry increase fuel economy, uptime, and capacity.
Algolux est un leader reconnu dans la perception pour les véhicules autonomes
(Blacksburg, VA – 28 février 2023) Torc Robotics, une filiale indépendante de Daimler Truck AG pionnière dans la commercialisation de technologie de véhicules à conduite autonome, a annoncé aujourd’hui la signature d’une entente visant à faire l’acquisition d’Algolux inc. Torc acquiert Algolux pour sa propriété intellectuelle primée etson expertise dans les domaines de la vision artificielle et de l’apprentissage machine.
Nous sommes ravis d’accueillir Algolux dans la famille Torc », déclare Peter Vaughan Schmidt, PDG de Torc. « La technologie d’Algolux, au croisement de l’apprentissage profond, de la vision artificielle et de l’imagerie informatisée, aidera Torc à renforcer ses compétences clés vers sa commercialisation du camionnage autonome de niveau 4.
Torc partage notre engagement à créer une technologie robuste afin de réaliser le potentiel de l’autonomie et aider à sauver des vies, ce qui représente l’une des nombreuses raisons pourquoi nous joignons les forces de nos équipes », explique Allan Benchetrit, PDG d’Algolux. « L’équipe chevronnée d’Algolux, avec son expertise approfondie en talent et perception d’intelligence artificielle (IA) et d’apprentissage machine (AM), vient compléter l’équipe d’ingénierie déjà expérimentée de Torc.
Technologie de perception Algolux en deux vues, combinant à la fois vision par ordinateur régulière + profondeur.
Cette acquisition rassemble la pile d’IA de bout en bout d’Algolux, allant des photons au comportement, ainsi que la technologie autonome révolutionnaire de Torc. Avec une plateforme de camionnage FEO étroitement intégrée, nous avons le scénario idéal », ajoute Felix Heide, directeur de la transformation numérique à Algolux. « Alors que plusieurs personnes pensent que le transport autonome est futuriste, cette combinaison gagnante contribuera à commercialiser l’application sûre et rentable du camionnage longue distance à grande échelle.
Son excellence dans le domaine a souvent valu de la reconnaissance à Algolux, notamment en étant nommée dans la liste « 2021 CB Insights AI 100 » parmi les entreprises d’intelligence artificielle en démarrage les plus novatrices. Depuis plus d’un an, Torc travaille étroitement avec l’entreprise sur plusieurs concepts et méthodes de perception afin d’améliorer considérablement la détection d’objets et l’estimation de la distance, tout en évaluant les synergies entre les deux organisations.La technologie de perception robuste est la clé pour aider le système autonome de Torc à identifier correctement les objets lors de conditions visuelles difficiles, comme une faible luminosité, du brouillard ou du mauvais temps. Le logiciel d’Algolux fonctionne actuellement sur les véhicules de test initiaux de Freightliner Cascadia et fait partie de certains efforts de développement de logiciels de Torc.
Le siège social d’Algolux se trouve à Montréal, au Canada, avec des bureaux à Palo Alto, en Californie, et à Munich, en Allemagne.
La technologie d’Algolux, au croisement de l’apprentissage profond, de la vision artificielle et de l’imagerie informatisée, aidera Torc à renforcer ses compétences clés vers sa commercialisation du camionnage autonome de niveau 4.
Peter Vaughan Schmidt, PDG de Torc
À propos de Torc Robotics
Torc Robotics, dont le siège social est à Blacksburg, en Virginie, est une filiale indépendante de Daimler Truck AG, un leader international et pionnier du camionnage. Fondée en 2005 lors de l’émergence de la révolution des véhicules sans conducteur, Torc possède 17 années d’expérience dans les applications précurseurs de conduite autonome au cœur desquelles se trouve la sécurité. Torc offre un logiciel complet et une solution d’intégration aux véhicules à conduite autonome. L’entreprise se concentre actuellement sur la commercialisation de camions autonomes pour les applications longue distance aux États-Unis. Torc possède des installations de test à Albuquerque, au Nouveau-Mexique, ainsi que des bureaux d’ingénierie à Austin, au Texas, et à Stuttgart en Allemagne. La mission de Torc consiste à sauver des vies grâce à la technologie autonome, notamment réduire le nombre de décès sur l’autoroute, livrer des fournitures essentielles (comme des médicaments et de la nourriture) à toutes les communautés de manière opportune et contribuer à l’amélioration de l’économie de carburant, la disponibilité et la capacité du secteur des transports.
Chaka’s over 25 years of experience supports Torc’s growth and safety-focused mission of leveraging autonomous trucking technology to help save lives
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Feb 22, 2023 – Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, has named Michelle Chaka as senior vice president, Safety and Regulatory. Michelle brings over 25 years of safety and regulatory expertise to the company, having a unique mix of experience at General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, and most recently, Locomation.
In her new role, Chaka will serve as the safety champion for Torc, fostering a culture that values safety, data-driven and evidence-based approaches, and transparency. She will oversee and coordinate safety across the company which includes the Safety Management System (SMS) program, regulatory compliance, and industry best practices. Important aspects of the SMS program are governance, risk management, and assurance. Chaka will serve as the chair of the Torc Safety Board (TSB) and continue to build the SMS program. Additionally, she will co-chair the Legal and Regulatory Safety Committee (LARS). Chaka will report directly to Torc’s CEO, Peter Vaughan Schmidt.
“Torc is dedicated to saving lives through the use of innovative technologies. From my first conversation with the Torc team, it was evident that saving lives was more than an aspirational mission, it is a Torc core value,” commented Chaka. “Serving as a champion for safety is an honor, and I am thrilled to be joining a team whose culture embodies and exemplifies safety in every aspect of the company.”
Chaka’s extensive experience provides a solid safety, regulatory, and engineering foundation, and she is well-versed in automated technology and data analytics. As a proven safety leader, she has delivered innovative products/programs from concept to production and worked with the larger safety community to advance safety for all road users. Furthermore, Chaka led automated driving research projects sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety (NHTSA) and which NHTSA published to provide the learnings to all stakeholders.
Chaka holds a master of science in Automotive Engineering Technology from the University of Michigan and a bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.
About Torc Robotics
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 17 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas, and Stuttgart, Germany. Torc’s mission is saving lives with autonomous technology, which incorporates reducing highway deaths, enabling critical supplies – including medicines and foods – to reach every community in a timely manner, and helping the transportation industry increase fuel economy, uptime, and capacity.
(Blacksburg, VA – September 20, 2022) Torc Robotics, a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, today announced that Schneider (NYSE: SNDR) and Torc are working towards implementation of a pilot program utilizing Torc’s autonomous test fleet.
“Schneider is an undisputed leader in the industry,” said Michael Fleming, Torc founder and CEO. “Many of trucking’s best practices and breakthroughs stem from Schneider’s forward-thinking approach. This relationship with Schneider is a significant step for the operational development of our product as we continue to work toward a seamless integration with the existing freight industry.”
As part of the agreement, Schneider will provide freight loads for Torc’s pilot operations and unique insights on truckload freight that will help guide the development and ongoing commercialization of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications.
“We see great potential for Torc’s autonomous technology to improve freight efficiencies while helping to lower cost,” said Rob Reich, Schneider executive vice president and chief administrative officer. “Schneider is looking forward to providing Torc with the industry and operational knowledge needed to maximize the potential of autonomous trucks.”
Torc recently announced the formation of its Torc Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC), which includes key freight industry players such as Schneider. The latest agreement with Schneider will be multi-phased, launching from the initial scouting work that the companies have already completed. Through Torc’s Test/Discover/Iterate approach, initial evaluation has commenced to ensure Torc’s systems are achieving the necessary requirements for Schneider and its customers. The next steps include system integration and day-to-day commercial operation pilots throughout 2023 and beyond. The end goal of the effort is to hone the product trajectory into an industry-guided usable solution.
With $5.6 billion in annual revenue, Schneider has been safely delivering superior customer experiences and investing in innovation for over 85 years. The company’s digital marketplace, Schneider FreightPower®, is revolutionizing the industry giving shippers access to an expanded, highly flexible capacity network and provides carriers with unmatched access to quality drop-and-hook freight – Always Delivering, Always Ahead.
For more information about Schneider, visit Schneider.com or follow the company socially on Facebook,LinkedIn and Twitter: @WeAreSchneider. Source: Schneider SNDR
About Torc Robotics
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 17 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas, and Stuttgart, Germany. Torc’s mission is saving lives with autonomous technology, which incorporates reducing highway deaths, enabling critical supplies – including medicines and foods – to reach every community in a timely manner, and helping the transportation industry increase fuel economy, uptime, and capacity.
