Volvo has made no secret of their desire to have self-driving cars on the market as soon as possible. And it looks like they just took a big step toward that goal.
The automaker has just announced its newest bit of safety tech, and frankly, it sounds amazing. Called the "centralized Sensor Fusion framework," the program was developed at Volvo's Non-Hit Car and Truck Project. The project's aim is to reduce traffic accident risks by detecting potential mishaps and taking measures to prevent them.
The Sensor Fusion system will provide drivers with a 360-degree view of their surroundings and scan the area for any potential dangers, i.e. pedestrians, cars stopping short, debris in the road, etc. The system will then warn the driver about the potential hazard and if the driver cannot react in time, the car will take over and find "escape routes" for the vehicle.
Scheduled to hit the market by 2020, this tech is also a building block for the practical implementation of self-driving cars, which will require a fast-acting automated system that reacts swiftly to danger in order to make them safe and marketable.
The automated tech is "imperative for the development of self-driving cars, which will be able to automatically steer and brake to avoid collision with any object in any situation," says Anders Almevad, project manager for the Non-Hit Car Project. "Our primary objective is to focus on different types of accident scenarios."
We at Volvo of Dallas are very excited about this potentially amazing piece of new car tech, and while we'll have to wait another five years or so until these new high-tech Volvos come out, you can find myriad tech amenities already featured in our fantastic lineup of new and used Volvos in Dallas!
