How to ride a big truck

[Whizz]

Gents (and Ladies), well I am not a mad keen fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme for a whole bunch of reasons, not least of which is the fact that he is French! However I saw this video this morning and was truly impressed with his balance and physical strength. Watch it and see what you think!!!

Volvo Trucks - The Epic Split feat. Van Damme (Live Test 6)

Cheers All

[Shiney]

WOW that is amazing ... those trucks are awesome

[Whizz]

...and if you thought that was smart/funny/strange...then just look at this one. This is the truck being steered by a Hamster!!!!!!!

Volvo Trucks - The Hamster Stunt: Charlie the Hero

So I'm not quite sure who is the smarter, Jean-Claude Van Damm or the Hamster, what do you think??

[Biggles]

Truly astonishing demonstration of both capabilities!  Imagine the faith you need to have in the machines to do that.  They are going backwards with trailers!

[alans1100]

Truly astonishing demonstration of both capabilities!  Imagine the faith you need to have in the machines to do that.  They are going backwards with trailers!

No, they've probably done it driving forward then reversed the film.

[StinkyPete]

Truly astonishing demonstration of both capabilities!  Imagine the faith you need to have in the machines to do that.  They are going backwards with trailers!

I'd put my money on film running backwards combined with  CGI.   He legs appear to stretch as the trucks move apart.

[Skip]

I've spent my fair share of years driving trucks. Me thinks this is not what it appears. The truck on the right is a 'rigid' i.e. not a semi trailer, which is the one which moves its line. Unless technology has come a long way in the past couple of years, there is no way you can reverse a semi trailer at that speed in a straight line without constant correction.
Also for both trucks to be able to reverse at identical speeds from take off and to maintain that is a near impossibility. Modern trucks are amazing, particularly Volvos, but i seriously doubt the legitimacy of this demonstration.
Just my considered opinion. I know we have so other truckies in our midst so no doubt some more professional opinions will be coming your way.
Bring it on. Oh. That sounds like an Ice Break ad.

[Biggles]

There is a prequel clip in the collection in which they discuss reversing the trucks.  Could be just part of the hype.
However, there is the matter of false advertising to consider, which is no small matter these days.  Advertisers are always careful to qualify their claims e.g. "foreign model shown".

The only reason reversing requires constant correction is the fact we humans over-correct.  When an autopilot flies a plane, the corrections are so immediate they need only be minute.

[Whizz]

One small thing to think about is that the truck on the left seems to be a rigid wheel thing and it is this truck that moves out when required, the one on the right keeps a single line throughout the whole thing.

And a question to all those who don't think this is real; why would Volvo do that when proving that it is a false, computer generated bit of plastic film is so apparently easy to prove? Do you honestly think that Ford and all the other truck manufacturers in the would would keep their mouths shut if the file was so easy to prove to be a fake? I see nothing that supports that, do you??? 

[Biggles]

And a question to all those who don't think this is real; why would Volvo do that when proving that it is a false, computer generated bit of plastic film is so apparently easy to prove? Do you honestly think that Ford and all the other truck manufacturers in the would would keep their mouths shut if the file was so easy to prove to be a fake? I see nothing that supports that, do you??? 

We're definitely on the same page, Whizz.
It's a sad fact that Photoshop and CGI have made cynics and sceptics of us all, especially regarding anything that is on the internet.

Oh for the "good old days" when a photo was proof admissible as evidence.   

[saaz]

Jean-Claude Van Damme is a Belgian, but from a french speaking part.  They do feel insulted if you call them French!

[Whizz]

Sorry mate, I suppose I should say he's a next-door frog! 

[Whizz]

Thought this was interesting;

http://www.thelocal.se/20131115/van-dammes-epic-split-overshadows-volvo-layoffs

....and finally



 

[Shiney]

Good find Whizz

[Biggles]

....and finally

Put some wind among the sticks and lets see him (her?) hold on!     

[Marcus]

And a question to all those who don't think this is real; why would Volvo do that when proving that it is a false, computer generated bit of plastic film is so apparently easy to prove? Do you honestly think that Ford and all the other truck manufacturers in the would would keep their mouths shut if the file was so easy to prove to be a fake? I see nothing that supports that, do you??? 

We're definitely on the same page, Whizz.
It's a sad fact that Photoshop and CGI have made cynics and sceptics of us all, especially regarding anything that is on the internet.

Oh for the "good old days" when a photo was proof admissible as evidence.   

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0P_Ded5cbs

[Whizz]

Thanks Marcus...good bit of support film!...and still SCARY!!

[Couch]

Amazing!! .................but I think it would have been even more dangerous to have attempted this going forward, because if he would have fallen then he would very likely have gone under the wheels of one of the trucks!  I would imagine he would have been very well paid to do this..........there would be very few people in the world capable of taking this on, let alone carrying it out successfully!

Having trained myself in Martial Arts for the past 24 years, I've always been impressed with his flexability and balance........he was, and obviously still is, an amazing athlete!

[Biggles]

Amazing!! .................but I think it would have been even more dangerous to have attempted this going forward, because if he would have fallen then he would very likely have gone under the wheels of one of the trucks!

There is a passing reference to some safety measures that are not evident in the video.

Skyhooks?  Hundreds of metres of sponge matting?

[Couch]

I'm sure there would have been some safety measures in place, not necessarily those mentioned, however there would still have been a very definite element of danger!

[alans1100]

The only issue I see with this stunt is the ability of backing one 18 wheeler and keeping it all in line. Makes me wonder what they've done to that 18 wheeler set up to make sure that the trailer tracks dead straight over that sort of distance.

I've seen professional MC (B double and above) drivers have two or three goes at backing a single tailer to connect a second trailer up and they might only be reversing 10/15 metres and still not get it on first go.

[Marcus]

The only issue I see with this stunt is the ability of backing one 18 wheeler and keeping it all in line. Makes me wonder what they've done to that 18 wheeler set up to make sure that the trailer tracks dead straight over that sort of distance.

I've seen professional MC (B double and above) drivers have two or three goes at backing a single tailer to connect a second trailer up and they might only be reversing 10/15 metres and still not get it on first go.

Well, that's exactly the point of the ad. It shows what the new stability control can do, Very loose at slow speeds to allow for micro adjustment which then stiffens up the faster the truck moves

Volvo Dynamic Steering - an innovative new system developed by Volvo Trucks - greatly improves precision and stability in any driving situation. It works through an electronically controlled electric motor that is adjusted around 2,000 times per second to create highly precise steering. When driving in reverse, Volvo Dynamic Steering offers excellent control with minimal effort.

"The film is the perfect demonstration of the directional stability Volvo Dynamic Steering can offer," explains Jan-Inge Svensson, the engineer behind the development of the system's software at Volvo Trucks. "The stability and control are so good that you can reverse a truck over a long distance with very high precision, which is exactly what we've had to do in this film. It had to be perfect - right down to the last centimetre."

At low speeds, Volvo Dynamic Steering makes steering virtually effortless and improves maneuverability. The electric motor also automatically regulates the steering and compensates for irregularities that feed through to the steering wheel, such as side winds or bumps in the road surface. As a result, the need to constantly make small adjustments to the steering is greatly reduced. Furthermore, Volvo Dynamic Steering will also automatically return the steering wheel to its starting position when released, further reducing strain on the driver.

source: http://www.volvotrucks.com/trucks/global/en-gb/newsmedia/pressreleases/Pages/pressreleases.aspx?pubid=16768

[StinkyPete]

Just because Volvo say that it is not fake, does not mean that it is not fake.   To produce some kind of advertisement "Doco" that talks about how it was done, is simply clever advertising.   How do the believers explain how his legs get longer?

[Marcus]

How do the believers explain how his legs get longer?

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/11/15/how-volvo-created-the-jean-claude-van-damme-video/

[Whizz]

I agree Marcus, Thanks you!...and here is a copy of the video for the other stunt. Lets see the doubting Thomas's pick this apart!..

Volvo Trucks - The Ballerina Stunt (Live Test 1)