Volvo reveals ‘driver understanding system’

VOLVO approaches the global release of its flagship electric EX90 SUV, teasing the next generation of ‘human experience’ safety technology on the way to its future vision of “zero collisions”.

The Swedish car-maker is calling the EX90 “the start of a new era for Volvo Cars, taking our legacy of safety, quality and innovation into the future”, after almost 100 years in the vehicle game.

Volvo says the EX90 features the most advanced array of sensors on the market, with eight cameras, five radars, 16 ultrasonic sensors, and a high-tech LiDAR sensor. 

“We believe the EX90 to be the safest Volvo car to ever hit the road,” said Volvo Cars head of safe vehicle automation, Joachim de Verdier.

“We are fusing our understanding of the outside environment with our more detailed understanding of driver attention. 

“When all our safety systems, sensors, software and computing power come together, they create a preventative shield of safety around you – and you won’t even know it’s there until you need it.”

The onboard Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system is embedded in the roofline of the EX90 and Volvo says the technology can detect pedestrians up to 250 metres away, and smaller obstacles like a “tyre on a black road” 120 metres away.

“Our recent research indicates that adding LiDAR to a car can reduce accidents with severe outcomes by up to 20 per cent, and overall crash avoidance can be improved by up to nine per cent,” the official Volvo Cars statement outlined.

The various sensors on the EX90 work together with Volvo’s core computing platform and software to create a “360-degree real-time view of the world”, but also recognise the human experience. 

“Our research shows that by simply observing where the driver is looking and how often and for how long their eyes are closed, we can tell a lot about the state of the driver,” said Volvo Cars Safety Centre senior technical expert, Emma Tivesten. 

“By basing its calculations on our research findings, the sensing system allows our cars to identify whether the driver’s ability is impaired, perhaps due to drowsiness, distraction or other causes for inattention and to offer extra assistance in a way that best suits the situation.”

The vehicle will be able to sense when drivers are distracted, stressed, drowsy, or “not at their best”, by monitoring eye movement. Two cameras monitor early signals that a driver isn’t concentrating, by analysing eye-gaze patterns – like how long a driver looks at the road ahead, or elsewhere.

Volvo says the EX90 will only intervene when needed, and the capacitive steering wheel also plays a role in sensing driver alertness. The first warning, if inattention is detected, will be an audible signal that increases in volume based on severity of the situation.

The EX90 is even capable of safely pulling over to the side of the road, if a driver does not respond to warnings, and the vehicle will alert other road users with its hazard lights.

“We’ve made great progress on exterior sensing in the last decades, thanks to our committed work on crash prevention systems,” said Volvo Cars Safety Centre acting head, Thomas Broberg.

“Interior sensing is one of the next safety frontiers for us. We will continue to learn, develop and deploy new features step by step to help improve safety as our knowledge increases and matures.”