"The motoring environment grows ever more complex," Ivarsson notes, "with more and more things fighting for a driver's attention, both outside and inside their cars, putting extra pressure on their ability to cope with what's happening around them." So the "only safe way forward is to provide sophisticated, advanced, automated driver support programs."
Ivarsson goes on to point out that "several industries have for many years used computerized systems to negate the chance of natural human error causing a disaster, including the nuclear power and airline industries."
While incidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl and too many plane crashes to list tend to weaken Ivarsson's comment, it's undeniable that invasive technologies in both industries have made them much safer over the years.
Ivarsson claims that "Our emerging safety thinking at Volvo Cars is about
putting natural human abilities at the centre of our research and developing systems designed to increase safety and ensure drivers can enjoy their motoring experience."
Ivarsson says Volvo's next challenge is to "deliver software and hardware that serve as a sympathetic 'co-driver' for the motorist. Our vision contemplates creating a partnership between the human driver and the vehicle."
Ivarsson says Volvo will build upon today's existing fully functional systems, such as its Blind Spot Information System, adaptive cruise control, collision warning, and the Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS).
The European IDIS system continuously monitors steering wheel movement, turn signal indicators and degree of braking to delay incoming phone calls or SMS messages during intense activity such as overtaking or braking.
Everyone's safety research shows that driver error is a major contributor to collisions, so Volvo believes "the answer is to provide driver alert functions designed to reduce information overload."
Ivarsson says Volvo "is developing technologies that can anticipate an upcoming problem and help solve it, either by alerting the driver or, in the ultimate case, by temporarily taking over control of the vehicle and reacting faster than a normal human could."
To that end, the Volvo Cars' Driver Alert system, which is now in the final phase of development, "uses cameras and radar systems with software designed to identify moving or stationary objects posing a potential threat to the vehicle."
Ivarsson says the Driver Alert system initially alerts a driver to the upcoming danger by using warning lights and sounds, and then "steps-in to help reduce impact severity using brake support and automatic brake activation."
Volvo's futuristic safety vision also encompasses helping owners "city-proof" their vehicles by reducing the risks of low speed collisions, though we won't see this ultra-Big Brother technology until 2020.
Volvo believes that vehicles equipped with forward-and rearward-facing systems would significantly reduce injuries caused during these low speed collisions (under 40 km/h), which account for about 88 percent of all collisions.
"Apart from reducing physical damage to vehicles," says Ivarsson, this new technology would "reduce the impact severity and the risk of whiplash injuries for passengers and drivers, both in the owner's Volvo vehicle and in the vehicle being struck."
Ivarsson goes on to point out that "several industries have for many years used computerized systems to negate the chance of natural human error causing a disaster, including the nuclear power and airline industries."
While incidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl and too many plane crashes to list tend to weaken Ivarsson's comment, it's undeniable that invasive technologies in both industries have made them much safer over the years.
Ivarsson claims that "Our emerging safety thinking at Volvo Cars is about
 |
| (Photo: Volvo Cars) |
Ivarsson says Volvo's next challenge is to "deliver software and hardware that serve as a sympathetic 'co-driver' for the motorist. Our vision contemplates creating a partnership between the human driver and the vehicle."
Ivarsson says Volvo will build upon today's existing fully functional systems, such as its Blind Spot Information System, adaptive cruise control, collision warning, and the Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS).
The European IDIS system continuously monitors steering wheel movement, turn signal indicators and degree of braking to delay incoming phone calls or SMS messages during intense activity such as overtaking or braking.
Everyone's safety research shows that driver error is a major contributor to collisions, so Volvo believes "the answer is to provide driver alert functions designed to reduce information overload."
Ivarsson says Volvo "is developing technologies that can anticipate an upcoming problem and help solve it, either by alerting the driver or, in the ultimate case, by temporarily taking over control of the vehicle and reacting faster than a normal human could."
To that end, the Volvo Cars' Driver Alert system, which is now in the final phase of development, "uses cameras and radar systems with software designed to identify moving or stationary objects posing a potential threat to the vehicle."
Ivarsson says the Driver Alert system initially alerts a driver to the upcoming danger by using warning lights and sounds, and then "steps-in to help reduce impact severity using brake support and automatic brake activation."
 |
| (Photo: Volvo Cars) |
Volvo believes that vehicles equipped with forward-and rearward-facing systems would significantly reduce injuries caused during these low speed collisions (under 40 km/h), which account for about 88 percent of all collisions.
"Apart from reducing physical damage to vehicles," says Ivarsson, this new technology would "reduce the impact severity and the risk of whiplash injuries for passengers and drivers, both in the owner's Volvo vehicle and in the vehicle being struck."