Volvo
Volvo wants to stop anyone from getting seriously injured or killed in its new cars by 2020, but advanced air bags and blind-spot warning systems can only go so far. It needs cars that can detect, predict, and avoid trouble, all on their own.
The automaker is openly moving toward self-driving cars, and now it’s announced a new feature that will help it get there. In a few years, its cars will be equipped with computers that have a 360-degree view of their surroundings, constantly scanning and evaluating what’s going on, and how to react if there’s trouble.
The “centralized Sensor Fusion framework” links onboard cameras, radar, lidar, GPS and more. It was developed by the Non-Hit Car and Truck Project, a four-year partnership between Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks (they’re totally separate companies, the passenger car shop is owned by China’s Geely), and a few technology suppliers and universities. The goal was to reduce accident risks for passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
The system, which is still at least five years from hitting showrooms, can detect potential accidents before they occur, even if they’re outside the driver’s line of sight. If an accident is imminent, the car can determine an “escape route” and auto-brake and even steer the car to avoid the accident. It’s the high-tech equivalent of Sylvester Stallone in that horrible movie Escape Plan: Always looking for a way out of trouble.
The technology can identify different types of road users like pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles—an important ability because they all act differently, at varied speeds, in different parts of the road. Scenarios are anticipated up to five seconds in advance, with alerts sent to the driver. If he doesn’t respond in time, the car takes action on its own.
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