Daimler Trucks is taking a big step towards the development of autonomous trucks by acquiring a majority stake in Torc Robotics.

"We are forming the ideal combination between Torc's expertise on agile software development and our experience in delivering reliable and safe truck hardware," said Daimler AG board member Martin Daum, who did not disclose the value of the deal.

The Virginia, USA-based Torc has a decade head start in developing self-driving trucks.  Formed in 2005 by veterans of the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Torc's autonomous-driving system is named Asimov, after science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov.  He established sci-fi's Three Laws of Robotics, introduced in his short story collection "I, Robot", in 1950.

"Torc is not a start-up, but one of the world's most experienced companies for vehicle automation," said Roger Nielsen, CEO of Daimler Trucks North America, "Torc's Level 4 system has been shown to operate well for both urban and highway driving in rain, snow, fog, and sunshine."

Torc will continue to develop its Asimov self-driving software and testing at its Blacksburg facility, while working closely with Daimler Trucks' Research & Development team in Portland, Oregon.

"With the ever rising demand for road transportation, not the least through e-commerce, there is a strong business case for self-driving trucks in the US market and I believe the fastest path to commercialisation for self-driving trucks is in partnership with Daimler Trucks, the OEM market leader," said Torc CEO Michael Fleming, "This move is in line with our mission of saving lives and represents another major milestone for Torc since crossing the finish line in the DARPA Urban Challenge 12 years ago."

The deal is pending approval from US regulators.