Volvo is currently working on its new safety system which will help the company to say such bold claims like “nobody will die or seriously injured in one of our cars by 2020”.
So, what is this super-system Volvo is developing now? It’s called ADV (Autonomous Driving Support) and it uses all kinds of cameras and radar sensors to actively navigate the flow of traffic and escape an accident while owners eat, type SMS or do something else on their way to something.
Next is Intersection Support, which—like the school buses of our youth that halt at railroad crossings—monitors intersections for pedestrians, cross traffic and the like.
And another important function is Animal Detection which alerts drivers to oncoming animals, but here Volvo goes unconventional way - The aim is to reduce the speed of impact from about 100-110 km/h to below 80 km/h,” says Volvo. “Once speed drops below 80 km/h, the car’s safety systems are effective and the risk of serious injuries is small.”
Volvo’s solution is to track animal shapes and monitor where their positions are, and if they plan to run. The cameras are also trained on the sides of the road to catch potentially bounding deer, elk and moose in the act before they leap out.
How soon can we see these technologies in action? As senior manager of Safety Strategy & Requirements at Volvo, Jan Ivarsson says, “Development of these technologies is progressing very quickly. And with steadily lower prices for sensors and other electronic components, it is our intention that these advanced solutions will in future be fitted to all our cars. Having said that, close cooperation with the relevant public authorities, insurance companies and other car manufacturers is also vital for achieving the vision of an accident-free traffic environment.”
Whatever the progress is I think soon we will be able to test those technologies by ourselves.
