At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Volvo Car Group announced the world’s first cyclist detection system that detects and automatically brakes for cyclists swerving in front of the vehicle. Doug Speck, Senior Vice President Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service at Volvo Car Group entered the stage on a bicycle, showing the world what the new technology can do.
This new function enhances the already present detection system and has integrated Volvo’s auto brake technology. It will be called the Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection and will have a full auto brake feature. “As the leader in automotive safety, we have been first in the industry with all detection and auto brake technologies, from the first-generation brake support in 2006 to pedestrian detection with full auto brake in 2010,” said Doug Speck in a recent interview.
Rapid vision processing and other advanced software have made it possible for the present detection system to be extended. How does it work? When a cyclist swerves out in front of the car, the advanced sensors send out a warning to the driver and full braking power is applied. However, the speed of the vehicle plays a large part in this feature. Slower speeds reduce the risk of serious injury.
Under the grille of the vehicle is a radar unit, and a camera in the front of the interior rear-view mirror. The radar unit will detect the objects in front of the vehicle to determine the distance and the camera determines the objects. To fully engage the auto brake system, both the camera and radar unit need to confirm the object.
“Each of the enhancements is designed around our customers’ needs. We have focused on quality and attention to detail in order to give these models a major boost and sharpen their competitiveness,” commented Speck. The Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection system will be available on the V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70, and S80 models starting in May 2013.
Source: Newspress USA
