Happy Fourth of July, everyone! It’s the holiday, so time for a little fun as I continue the tradition of bringing to you the occasional weird, wacky, wonderful or just plain silly water-related content from around the web, and on this holiday, I will not disappoint.
Back in May, Hoover Dam was used as backdrop for the debut of a new Daimler Freightliner truck – the first licensed autonomous commercial truck to operate on an open public highway in the United States, says the press release. What does that mean, exactly? The press release explains:
“The Freightliner Inspiration Truck operates on highways at what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines as Level 3 of autonomous vehicle capabilities, enabling the driver to cede full control of all safety-critical functions under certain traffic or environmental conditions. The autonomous vehicle system is responsible for maintaining legal speed, staying in the selected lane, keeping a safe braking distance from other vehicles, and slowing or stopping the vehicle based on traffic and road conditions. The vehicle monitors changes in conditions that require transition back to driver control when necessary in highway settings. The driver is in control of the vehicle for exiting the highway, on local roads and in docking for making deliveries.”
( … First thought – Anybody here seen Anchorman 2 … ??? <chuckle 😆 > )
( … Second thought – And they allow an ‘autonomous’ truck to drive over Hoover Dam post-911 … ? 😕 )
So what state allows this ‘autonomous’ truck on the road, you ask? Nevada, of course! You can read more about the truck in the press release here: Freightliner Inspiration Truck Unveiled at Hoover Dam
OK, so back to the dam story, so to speak. Hoover Dam was selected for the unveiling of the truck ‘because it represents America’s ability to dream big and accomplish amazing things, even in the midst of adversity,’ says the press release. The truck drove on top of the dam while the dam itself was used for a projection surface. According to the Associated Press, the presentation used the equivalent of about 1,400 household light bulbs from 60 projectors to cast images of videos, animation, historical photos and the American flag onto the face of the dam; the presentation was six years in the making. (Photos below courtesy of Bureau of Reclamation.)
Watch the show here. Enjoy!
