Volvo Develops 360-Degree Scanning Tech for Trucks
Volvo Trucks has developed technology to enable trucks to do a 360 degree scan of everything that happens around it to protect cyclists and pedestrians, the OEM said.
The technology gives a driver suggestions how to avoid incidents, similar to how the human mind can interpret the surrounding environment, the company said.
“In situations with heavy traffic, it is easy for a driver to miss something important such as an approaching cyclist on the vehicle’s passenger side. Now we can solve this issue and help the driver see and understand everything that is happening around the vehicle”, Carl Johan Almqvist, Volvo Trucks’ traffic and product safety director, said in a statement.
The system uses sensors, radars and cameras placed around the truck to feed the driver information on how to avoid accidents. The steering and braking system can be automatically activated if the driver does not respond to the truck’s suggestions, according to Volvo.
“We have the main components in place, but we need to do a lot more testing in order to make sure that the system is fault-free. If we manage to solve these challenges, a future without truck accidents is within reach,” Almqvist said.
The technology is in the test phase, but the company said it may become a reality with 10 years.
Volvo Trucks started developing the technology in 2010 in collaboration with the car unit and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.
See below for a video on Volvo's new technology.
