Volvo Using the Cloud to Warn Drivers of Slippery Roads
Volvo is developing another use or connected car technology meant to improve driving safety.
The company is working with the Swedish Transport Administration to launch a pilot project using cars connected to the virtual cloud that are able to relay road conditions. Equipped cars send information in real time about patches of road that may be slippery or icy to warn other drivers.
“We have 50 test cars on the roads, and next winter the fleet will grow considerably. Our aim is to make the technology available for our customers within a few years,” said Volvo project manager Erik Israelsson.
Information is transmitted to Volvo’s database via the mobile phone network and an instant warning is sent to other Volvos approaching the area. A warning adapted to the severity of the road condition illuminates in the instrument cluster. The system also ties in to speeding up road crew response times.
Volvo also sends road condition updates to the government body in charge of road maintenance to improve how quickly they can respond with repairs or to dispatch trucks for things like snow clearing.
“The strategic focus on connectivity within our new Scalable Product Architecture paves the way for more cloud-based safety solutions,” Israelsson said. “This will bring us closer to our safety vision that nobody should die or suffer serious injuries in a new Volvo car by the year 2020.”
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
More by Luke Vandezande
Comments
Join the conversation