Volvo demonstrates new Pedestrian Detection system [Video]

By Mark Kleis - Posted December 8th 2009

Volvo recently took to the streets of Copenhagen in a heavily disguised 2011 S60 in order to put their new Pedestrian Detection system through its paces. Volvo’s newest safety technology identifies pedestrians and will automatically stop the vehicle if the driver fails to identify the imminent collision.

Volvo first hinted that it was testing a new pedestrian detection system late last year, but it has now released an official video demonstrating the technology in use. Now, the S60 which will first feature this new technology has been unveiled to the public, and will go on sale summer of next year.

Volvo says that its engineers and safety experts have been developing the Pedestrian Detection technology for 10 years – with test cars quietly rolling through streets around the world without public knowledge.

“Factors like traffic behavior, road conditions and climate must be taken into account in the design of the final system. All told we have collected more than 500,000 kilometers of real-life data. We can also use the information from these traffic tests to conduct advanced computer simulations,” says Thomas Broberg, senior safety adviser for Volvo.

The new system works hand and hand with Volvo’s new Collision Warning system with Full Brake Force in order to provide the vehicle with a fully automated braking system. Collision Warning works by first issuing a warning to the driver, and then automatically applying braking should the driver fail to react.

Volvo utilizes a combination of radar and cameras in order to identify potential hazards, which is then relayed back to a computer which calculates whether or not emergency action must be taken.

“Our aim is that this new technology should help the driver avoid collisions with pedestrians at speeds below 25 km/h. If the car is traveling faster, the aim is to reduce the impact speed as much as possible. In most cases, we can reduce the collision force by about 75 percent. Considering the large number of pedestrian fatalities that occur, if we manage to lower the fatality risk by 20 percent this new function will make a big difference. In specific situations the fatality reduction can be up to 85 percent,” says Thomas Broberg.