Latest Car News From DIGIADS

Latest Car News

New Car Review Areas

General Car Topics

2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Review

July 2009
Filed under: VOLVO Car News | VOLVO Headlines

View this 2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Wallpaper Picture

View this 2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Wallpaper Picture Gallery

 Car 2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Wallpaper Pics 2009 Car 2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Wallpaper Pics 2009 Car 2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Wallpaper Pics 2009 Car 2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Wallpaper Pics 2009 Car 2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Wallpaper Pics 2009

View this 2009 Volvo's New Virtual Co-Driver Wallpaper Picture Gallery

Latest VOLVO Headlines

The truck of the future will have a digital co-driver on board. A virtual guardian angel that assists - or even takes over - if the driver loses control. €“We quite simply attach eyes to the truck,€ says Erika Jakobsson at Volvo, one of the powerhouses in the EU€™s drive to develop intelligent vehicles.

Weekends, accidents, bad weather or road-works. There are many reasons for traffic jams, but they all have one thing in common: where there are queues, there is also a risk of accidents. A survey by the European Truck Accident Causation Study shows that 47 per cent of all truck accidents take place in monotonous situations such as traffic jams, with vehicles traveling in the same direction, or in stressful situations such as crossroads and road-works. Now technology is being developed to help ensure that this type of accident becomes less frequent.

Right now, the EU's Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport (HAVEit) project is focusing heavily on next-generation intelligent vehicles that can save lives and the environment through the development of advanced driver-assistance systems. The HAVEit project has 28 million euros at its disposal and the aim is to develop a sort of virtual co-driver that responds to the current traffic situation and the driver's needs.

"One of the challenges is how the vehicle should communicate with the driver, what sort of displays, voice functions and so on it should have. We all have different temperaments, so the system must recognise when the driver is feeling irritated or calm," says Reiner Hoeger, project coordinator for HAVEit.

The automotive industry has been building and conducting research into automated vehicles for some time now and a lot of new features have already made it into production. Tomorrow's vehicles, however, are being optimised to assist the driver, not just by helping them, but by actually taking over certain tasks when necessary.

This technology relies on a number of sensors on the outside of the vehicle that respond to the traffic environment, scan lane markings, road signs, the current traffic situation and the road conditions. This is combined with an internal system that monitors the driver and interprets their needs. What is more, the truck is enhanced so that it can all be controlled electronically. The same technology will also help make the vehicles more economical and help the driver drive in a more environmentally favourable way.

"We are not trying to make the driver superfluous,€ explains Reiner Hoeger. €“We want the driver to always have some form of control. We do this through continuous dialogue between the driver and the system, where the vehicle becomes more or less automated depending on the current circumstances."

All told, 20 companies are involved in the project which started in 2008 - everything from vehicle manufacturers to universities €' but one of the major contributions comes from Volvo Technology. The aim is that in 2011, the project should demonstrate the new technology in seven vehicles, three of them heavy commercial vehicles from Volvo. Two trucks are currently undergoing a digital transformation at Volvo Technology in Göteborg, Sweden. One truck focuses more on safety, the other on environmental aspects.

The safety truck will spotlight the development of systems and automation designed to assist the driver in repetitive traffic tailback situations characterised by monotonous progress at low-speed. "The queue support system for trucks that is in production today works down to 30 km/h (18mph), but this is still a relatively high speed,€ says Erika Jakobsson, project manager at Volvo Technology. €“We are now working on queue support down to 0 km/h. What is more, the truck should automatically stop if the vehicle in front stops, and start moving again without the driver pressing the accelerator."

The other part of the automated queue support system that Erika and her colleagues are working on is dedicated to keeping the truck in the right lane. She adds, "Today's lane support system issues an audible warning which requires that the driver responds. Now we are examining an entirely automated process so that the truck always drives in the middle of its lane without the driver having to do anything."

This degree of automation is achieved through nine sensors installed on the safety truck: a lane and object camera above the windscreen, a camera in the cab to monitor the driver's status, two short range radars (one on either side of the truck), and three lasers. In addition the truck is fitted with V2V communication and the E-Horizon system.

E-Horizon is a collective term for systems that are linked to map databases. With the help of GPS and highly detailed maps, the truck receives a continuous flow of information about hills, bends and crossings further down the road, adjusting the driveline and tailoring progress so that it is as efficient and economical as possible.

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication is a similar system that exchanges information with other vehicles in the vicinity. For example, if the driver is in a traffic jam and a vehicle ahead brakes suddenly, the driver immediately receives a warning. In a traffic tailback, this means that the driver gets the necessary information several seconds before he sees the brake lights come on in the vehicle in front.

This sensor-based technology also figures prominently in the other truck being developed as part of the project. This environmentally-optimised truck must be able to handle the use of a hybrid engine by optimising the use of the combustion engine, electric motor and correct gear ratio. "Advance information from the sensors is a smart way of controlling the hybrid driveline since we have two sources from which to obtain the power. We can also coach the driver in good driving habits that reduce fuel consumption; a sort of built-in driver training," explains Erika, who leads a team of 16 people from all over Europe.

Project co-ordinator Reiner Hoeger hopes that we will soon have safer and more fuel-efficient vehicles on our roads. "I hope that some of this technology will make it into production in about 2012, but if we look further ahead, to perhaps 2020, even the more advanced functions will be in production by then."

Latest Car News

All images courtesy of and copyright their respective manufacturers, unless otherwise indicated. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted in any way without the express written permission of their respective owners. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Model news and specifications are presented as provided by manufacturer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DIGIADS. No warranty is made by DIGIADS with respect to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein.
Copyright © 2000-2024 DIGIADS Australia All Rights Reserved. Contact Us
Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the DIGIADS Privacy Policy and User Agreement. 		Loading...