Volvo Car Corporation is taking the next step in active safety by developing a system that alerts and automatically brakes for animals on the road. The new system will be launched on the market in a few years' time.
The project to develop a safety system that reduces the risk of collisions with wild animals is part of Volvo Car Corporation's vision for 2020 - that nobody should suffer serious injury in a new Volvo. The new system is based on technologies from the Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, introduced in 2010.
Camera and infra-red light
"The system consists of two parts - a radar sensor and an infra-red camera that can register the traffic situation," relates Andreas Eidehall, technical expert in the field of active safety systems at Volvo Car Corporation.
It is essential for the system to also function in the dark since most collisions with wild animals take place at dawn and dusk and during the dark winter months. The camera monitors the road ahead and if an animal is within range the system alerts the driver with an audible signal. If the driver does not react, the brakes are automatically applied.
"The goal is for the system to function at the normal rural highway speeds. In cases in which it cannot help the driver entirely avoid the collision, the system will slow down the car sufficiently to help reduce the force of impact and thus of serious injuries," continues Andreas Eidehall.
Data interpretation
One challenge facing the engineers is to teach the system to recognize different animals. A development team from Volvo Car Corporation spent an evening at a safari park digitally logging film sequences of animals and their various behavioural patterns. On this particular evening the focus was on moose, red deer and fallow deer. By driving very slowly along a trail where fodder had been laid out to attract the animals, a lot of data was recorded and this will later be used to evaluate and develop the sensor system.
In the first stage, the system will respond to large animals that risk injuring the driver or passengers in an impact, such as moose, deer and reindeer.
Immense risks from collisions with wild animals
Many car drivers are highly concerned about the risk of collisions with wild animals. There is good reason for this concern. In Sweden alone, more than 40,000 accidents involving wild animals are reported every year. The greatest danger is from collisions with moose.
"In an impact with a moose there is a relatively high risk of personal injury since it is common for the animal to end up on or roll across the front of the car and its windscreen," says Andreas Eidehall.
As regards the system and its various functions, Andreas cannot be more specific. The project has been under way for just over a year and a lot of work still remains to be done. Various technologies are currently being evaluated, software is being developed and while the system "learns" to recognize various animals, development is also under way on the necessary decision-making mechanisms, that is to say how and when the protective system is to respond.
"We can see in our accident statistics that this is an important area to prioritize. What is more, we know that there is considerable market interest in this type of safety system. During demonstrations of Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, we were often asked about protection from accidents with wild animals. We will present a market-ready system within a few years," concludes Andreas Eidehall.
Facts, road accidents with wild animals:
• The number of road accidents involving wild animals, Sweden: in 2010 just over 47,000. Source: Swedish Advisory Council on Accidents Involving Wild Animals
• Accidents with moose: About 7,000. Source: Swedish Advisory Council on Accidents Involving Wild Animals. Statistics based on Volvo's accident database reveal that collisions with moose involve a high risk of injury.
• The US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has compiled statistics for the period 1993-2007. All told, 2,499 people died in road accidents involving animals during this period. The report also states that the number of road accidents involving wild animals increases by almost 30 percent in November. The largest insurance company in the USA, State Farm, reports that the number of compensation claims for road accidents involving wild animals rose by 14.9 percent between 2003 and 2008.
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MANILA, Philippines, June, 2011 – The globally popular All-New Ford Fiesta makes its way around the busy streets of Metro Manila with one of the country’s leading radio networks, 99.5RT. The partnership with Ford Philippines and 99.5RT showcases a stickered Ford Fiesta to be used by the Awesome crew of 99.5RT as their official vehicle for upcoming events and campus tours.
Just like 99.5RT, the new Ford Fiesta is increasingly being recognized as one of the clear leaders in the highly competitive small car segment – and this makes it a perfect match for the country’s leading radio network that brings cutting edge music to the radio waves each day. “The Ford Fiesta is the perfect match for the crew of 99.5RT – not only because of its head- turning looks, but also because of its class-first features and technologies such as Bluetooth Voice Control. With this smart feature, the 99.5RT crew can safely call-in for live feeds while on the road,” says Anika Salceda-Wycoco, FGP AVP for Communications.
“We are excited for our two brands to come together – the all-new Ford Fiesta and our crew at 99.5RT. We are certain that this unique partnership will create a one-of-a-kind radio listening experience for our customers,” says Bernie Buenaseda, Vice President of 99.5RT.
Spot the 99.5RT Ford Fiesta around town and tune into 99.5RT to catch the latest happenings around the metro. For more updates, be a fan of the Ford Fiesta in the Philippines Facebook page (www.facebook.com/FordFiestaPhilippines).
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The Honda team won first place in the special stage run of Transport Show Auto Rally held at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC).
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) recently joined MP Turbo’s Transport Show Auto Rally which was an ‘on-time, all-the-time’ type of motorsports activity that involved effective management of time, speed and distance.
Representing the Honda team was the Isada family led by Vip and was joined by his brother Edong and son Ivan. On board the 2.0 liter Honda CR-V Modulo Sports Edition, the Isada family finished the special stage with the closest time to that of the given two minutes and 45 seconds.
The Isadas share the same passion in motorsports. Despite their vast experience in motorsports, the Trans Sport Auto Rally was actually the first rally that the three had joined as a team. Edong and Ivan were novices in an on-time, all-the-time rally format and were more accustomed to speed rallies. Inherently bearing that challenging spirit, the three geared up and took the competition as an opportunity to learn and have fun with the family.
Father and son, Vip and Ivan, particularly enjoyed the special stage at BRC. “We had a little contest as to who would register faster time at the BRC and I’m glad I won!” said Ivan. Having a 10-time national rally champion for a father does not put too much pressure on Ivan anymore. He just enjoys the healthy competition with his dad. “This experience was actually an advance father’s day treat as we got to spend time doing what we both love, apart from volleyball,” he added.
“For an on-time, all-the-time type of rally, ordinary cars with no special set-up can be used,” said Vip. “The drive down Talisay, Batangas revealed how fun-to-drive, agile and easy to maneuver the CR-V is. The CR-V handled the sharp curves pretty well. Apart from handling, the CR-V Modulo Sports provided a comfortable, sedan-like ride that’s perfect for city driving and even out of town trips. Getting in and out of the CR-V was also effortless with its practical height. In terms of legroom and cargo area, the CR-V offered quite ample cabin space,” he added.
Over-all, the Isada family of the Honda team lived up to what they do best and that was to have fun while making wonderful memories.
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From now on, there is no need to leave your Volvo behind when you park it. The latest connectivity news from Volvo Car Corporation is a mobile application that makes sure that the driver can stay in touch with the parked car via an iPhone or Android smart phone. This means that Volvo Cars introduces the most comprehensive and broadly available application in Europe when it comes to controlling and monitoring the car from anywhere at any time.
"We design cars around people's needs and lifestyle. Creating an intuitive and ergonomically optimized driver's environment is part of our aim to offer a feeling of relaxed control. It is only logical that you should feel in command of your vehicle also after you have parked it," says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO at Volvo Car Corporation.
The mobile application is another step in Volvo Cars' quest to provide Volvo owners with a superior range of connectivity possibilities - both in the car and when it's parked. The mobile application is an extension of Volvo On Call, which originally focused on direct access to a call center in the event of an accident or other emergency. Presently, Volvo On Call is available in 12 European countries plus Russia.
Now, the system has been reinvented. Owners of all new Volvo models (from model year 2012) with Volvo On Call can download the new application that opens up a range of connectivity possibilities via an iPhone or Android smart phone.
The mobile app is free and downloaded via the iPhone and Android application stores. The app is designed to offer the owner an intuitive, easy-to-use relationship with the car from a distance. Naturally, Volvo Cars has taken appropriate steps to protect the user's privacy and the security of the system.
"This is much more than a gadget. The mobile application is the first step in our connectivity strategy. We have started to build a bridge to the future - and the mobile app will be extended with a range of possibilities," says Stefan Jacoby.
Mobile app with a wide range of features
The mobile application includes a number of features:
• Car locator. The location of the car is shown on a map. There is also a digital compass that points the driver in the right direction. If necessary, the car horn and indicators can be activated to facilitate the search.
• Remote door lock. The status of all doors and windows is displayed - and the drivercan lock and unlock the car with a push on the touch screen.
• Remote heater start. If the car is equipped with a parking heater, it can be started or timer programmed via the mobile app.
• Vehicle dashboard. This feature gives the driver access to a wide range of information: fuel level, remaining range to empty tank, average fuel consumption, average speed, odometer reading and trip meter reading.
• Car check. The mobile app performs a "health" check of the car, displaying information about bulbs, break fluid level, coolant level, engine oil level and engine oil pressure.
• Driving journal. Detailed data of each trip during the last 40 days can be downloaded and stored. There is also a possibility to extract the data as an Excel file - a perfect feature for company car owners.
• Vehicle information. Basic car data such as model, registration number and VIN number are stored and can be displayed.
• Theft notification. If the car alarm is triggered, the driver is alerted via the mobile app.
• This new Volvo On Call generation still includes all the safety and security aspects that are part of the first generation.
More projects in the pipeline
Volvo Cars will introduce several new connectivity features in the near future. "The new mobile application transforms Volvo On Call from an emergency system to a useful convenience feature. It will help us boost sales of the system - and we are convinced that our ambitious plans in this connectivity field will help us attract more and more new customers in the future," says Stefan Jacoby.
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The Volvo XC90 has been awarded yet another accolade at the annual Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) Mudfest. Already a two-time defending SUV of the Year champion (2002 and 2003), the Volvo XC90 was named best Luxury SUV by the group at its recently held 2011 event.
Up against stiff competition from BMW (X3), Infiniti (QX56), Mercedes-Benz (R350 BlueTEC 4 MATIC), and Land Rover (Range Rover Sport), the XC90 3.2 AWD R-Design impressed the Mudfest jurors with its tremendous value, sporty good looks and seating for seven.
"It's great to see such a grizzled veteran of the Mudfest competition still considered relevant today," said Doug Speck, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. "To go up against competitors, some of which weren't around when the XC90 went on sale in 2002, and still walk away with a category win illustrates why the XC90 remains one of our top sellers. I couldn't be happier."
This year, Mudfest was held at the DirtFish Rally School in Snoqualmie, Washington. Twenty six of the leading automotive journalists from the Northwest drove and evaluated 20 different 2011 SUVs and crossovers during the competition.
The Pacific Northwest is true SUV territory and remains one of the nation's top sales markets for the entire line of Volvo's XC vehicles. During the one-day event, the XC90 was tested vigorously both on- and off-road. Pavement tests allowed the jurors to once again experience Roll Stability Control, the world-first anti-rollover safety system introduced in the XC90. Today, such systems are mandated by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) for SUVs and similar vehicles. Off-road, the XC90 shined with its advanced Instant Traction all-wheel-drive system, which places power to the wheel with the most traction.
Locally, this award winning Volvo is available with a 3.2L petrol engine delivering 238hp and 320Nm of torque and a 2.4L D5 diesel variant with 185hp and 400Nm of torque. With safety without pretense, power delivered right through the wheel and premium comfort, the Volvo XC90 is the perfect fit for every modern family who wants nothing less than celebrating life.
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