There
seems to be no end to new technology and innovation. And when it comes to Volvo
Car Group, there are surprises galore. The company has completed a research
project using magnets in the roadway to help the self-driving car determine its
position.
This
research has been financed in strategic co-operation with the Swedish Transport
Administration (Trafikverket). Reliable and highly accurate positioning is one
of the crucial issues in the development of self-driving cars.
The road-integrated magnets remain unaffected
by physical obstacles and poor weather conditions.
The
established positioning technologies such as GPS and cameras have limitations
in certain conditions.
“The
magnets create an invisible ‘railway’ that literally paves the way for a
positioning inaccuracy of less than one decimetre. We have tested the
technology at a variety of speeds and the results so far are promising,” says
Jonas Ekmark, Preventive Safety Leader at Volvo Car Group.
Volvo
Cars plays a leading role in a large-scale autonomous driving pilot project in
which 100 self-driving Volvo cars will use public roads in everyday driving
conditions around the Swedish city of Gothenburg.
“Our
aim is for the car to be able to handle the driving all by itself. Accurate,
reliable positioning is a necessary prerequisite for a self-driving car,”
explains Jonas Ekmark. He adds: “It is fully possible to implement autonomous
vehicles without changes to the present infrastructure. However, this
technology adds interesting possibilities, such as complementing road markings
with magnets.”