The Chinese-made Q-Trucks, thanks to its cutting-edge AI machine-learning technology and wireless charging system, can work continuously for over 24 hours and travel up to 140 kilometers.
The trucks were being sent in from Shanghai, China, and will be put through their paces in the port’s terminal D container yard after passing their tests.
With the launch of the autonomous heavy truck project in September 2020, Hutchison Ports Thailand hired 45-year-old Suttirat as the assistant operations manager. This initiative intends to fully use automation, including self-driving cars, to improve the port’s eco-efficiency and safety.
“Q-Trucks are autonomous trucks that use machine learning, sensors, and global positioning system technology to get from point A to point B without human intervention. Their arrival two years ago has meant that they are now part of the larger traditional fleet of trucks used to move containers between the dock and the yard “Suttirat said.
Drivers of the over 30,000 vehicles that use terminal D were quickly able to become familiar with the trucks thanks to the safety training provided.
“Most drivers realize that the autonomous trucks can instantly ‘see’ everything in its surroundings and perform an emergency stop when faced with unavoidable obstructions,” Suttirat, whose team is conducting safety training, said.
Shanghai Westwell Information and Technology Company Ltd., based in China, constructs the Q-Trucks. The company focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in business and industry.
Thanks to its cutting-edge AI machine learning technology and wireless charging system, these vehicles can run continuously for over 24 hours and cover distances of up to 140 kilometers without stopping.
Terminal D’s operator, Hutchison Ports Thailand, reports that in the previous 25 months, the Q-Trucks fleet has been used for everyday operations and has successfully moved over 150,000 containers.
Stephen Ashworth, Hutchison Ports managing director for Thailand and Southeast Asia, said the company is “rapidly approaching” its goal of becoming the first fully-developed “smart port” in the country thanks to the introduction of autonomous Q-Trucks and other innovations already implemented or planned for the near future.
According to Ashworth’s Xinhua interview, the company will “take a further look at the development of autonomous truck technology at terminal D” in order to determine “how it can benefit the group’s network of ports throughout the world and future plans.”
The port administration claims that Thailand is making Laem Chabang a regional hub by increasing terminal security and efficiency, decreasing operating costs, and providing environmentally friendly solutions.
This strategy is consistent with Westwell’s goal of advancing automation.
According to Westwell founder and CEO Tan Limin, “Thailand is our first international market in terms of commercial autonomous driving.”
Working at the port has helped Tan and his team anticipate problems that may arise in the yard, and they have been able to use their knowledge of autonomous driving applications in China to develop solutions that work best in their region.
