By Mike Ramsey 

An engineer who helped spearhead the self-driving Google car project at Alphabet Inc. has quietly launched a Silicon Valley startup that plans to retrofit tractor trailers with autonomous-driving technology.

Anthony Levandowski, one of the founders of Google's self-driving car program, left Google toward the end of January. He was joined by Lior Ron, another former Alphabet employee who earlier led Google Maps and the development of the Moto X smartphone.

The new company, Ottomotto LLC, plans to build hardware enabling existing 18-wheelers to operate on highways without driver intervention, taking on larger companies that are currently reserving such technology for new trucks, Mr. Levandowski said in an interview.

Ottomotto counts former Alphabet, Apple Inc. and Tesla Motors Inc. software engineers among its 41 employees, he said.

Mr. Levandowski's self-funded startup has begun testing three Volvo AB trucks with an eye toward allowing them to travel on the highway without a driver's intervention. Daimler AG, Volvo, and other manufacturers are working on similar technology. Currently, many trucks are sold with driver-assist technology, but only a handful of states sanction fully autonomous commercial trucks.

An Alphabet spokesman acknowledged Mr. Levandowski's contribution and said, "we wish him well with his new endeavors."

Mr. Levandowski's self-driving truck startup, which prefers to be called Otto, marks the latest in a series of new companies, employee departures and investment alliances transforming Silicon Valley and the traditional auto industry in the race to put autonomous cars on the road. Driverless-car startups have proliferated amid advances in driving sensors and other technology, and Silicon Valley firms and long-standing car companies are rushing to snap up their talent and know-how.

Apple just put $1 billion into Chinese ride-sharing company and Uber Technologies Inc. competitor Didi Chuxing Technology Co., a move that could aid the iPhone maker's work on an autonomous electric vehicle. General Motors Co. earlier this year bought startup Cruise Automation Inc. and invested $500 million in ride-hailing company Lyft Inc. in part to further work on driverless cars.

Mr. Levandowski declined to pinpoint when Otto's technology would be ready but said he hopes to sell the autonomous system to truck fleets soon. The gear would allow trucks to travel without a driver using the pedals or steering wheel. He said Otto aims to focus on less-complicated highway driving so the technology can quickly pass muster.

In 2013, the federal government adopted regulations that require more rest time for U.S. truck drivers and limit how much they could drive in a week. It is unclear whether adding new technology to ease driving would allow for more flexibility with those regulations.

"We are focusing on the near-term potential for autonomous vehicles," Mr. Levandowski said. "It is easier for us to convince ourselves that our technology is better than humans on highways" than in city driving situations, he said.

Tractor trailers have long been considered prime candidates for robotic control. Trucking companies have struggled to recruit and keep drivers, and regulations governing how long they can be behind the wheel have exacerbated the shortage. There were roughly 50,000 too few drivers of big rigs in 2015, according to American Trucking Associations.

Otto aims to help tackle that problem. Robots can save truckers energy and render them more like security guards by handling the monotonous, miles-long stretches between highway exits, he said.

Mr. Levandowski started working for Google in 2007 as an engineer on the company's Street View program. By 2009, he became among the first to work on Google's self-driving car effort. He built a Toyota Motor Corp. Prius fitted with sensors for autonomous driving, dubbed a "Pribot," before Google officially started its self-driving car project. Google eventually purchased one of his startups that helped launch its driverless car program.

Write to Mike Ramsey at michael.ramsey@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 17, 2016 00:15 ET (04:15 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2024 to Mar 2024 Click Here for more Apple Charts.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2023 to Mar 2024 Click Here for more Apple Charts.