See how a self-driving truck reacts to a catastrophic tire burst

Leading driverless truck company Kodiak Robotics, today became the first in the industry to demonstrate that its autonomous technology, the Kodiak Driver, can maintain full control of a truck when a tire blows out.

During the tests, there were two operators in the cab of the truck, but they did not touch the controls - they only recorded what was happening. In addition, they had the opportunity to intervene in case of unforeseen developments. The tractor was moving at a speed of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h).

The algorithm according to which the control electronics operated, according to Kodiak Robotics, consists of four stages: fixing a malfunction, initiating a steering and braking procedure, activating an alarm and a complete stop. During testing at the proving ground, the autopilot was given the task of slowing down the truck with minimal deviation from the center of the lane. However, in real life, an electronically controlled tractor would pull over to the side of the road.

The company said the electronics handled the emergency better than most human drivers in a similar position would.