If you’ve spent much time on the highways and byways of the U.S., you’ve likely spent your fair share of time driving somewhat blindly behind a semi-truck. We all know the feeling, forced into tunnel vision (or at least “5-feet-in-front-of-my-car” vision) with no knowledge of the road and traffic conditions ahead. Add rain and it’s even more stressful.
ABC News recently featured a story about an innovation from Samsung: the “clear” truck. The company has placed front-facing cameras (complete with night vision capability) on the front of semi trucks, and paired them with a screen on the back of the vehicle, which displays the image the truck driver is seeing. The aim is to make driving conditions less hazardous for drivers following behind semis. They get a clear view of what’s up ahead, including road conditions that might cause sudden braking (gridlock, animals crossing, debris on the road, etc.). Of course this also makes passing the truck a safer activity, particularly on two-lane roads.
Samsung has already built and tested a prototype, and while it is no longer operational, their next step is to work with regulators and non-profits to get this innovation rolling (pun intended). Considering that there are approximately 1,900,000 semi trucks operating in the U.S. at any given time, the value of this program could be immense. What are your thoughts on this concept? Would you find it helpful, distracting, neither?