Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake from Volvo - VIDEO ENHANCED

A new advancement to the day when cars drive themselves

GOTHENBURG - February 10, 2010: Volvo Cars will unveil its all-new S60 at the Geneva Motor Show on March 2nd with its latest groundbreaking technological solution, Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake. It can detect pedestrians who walk into the road in front of the car, warn the driver, and automatically apply full braking power if the driver does not respond in time. With this technology, Volvo has increased the braking force in their automatic braking system from 50pc to full stopping power. Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at speeds of up to 35 km/h if the driver does not react in time. At higher speeds, the focus is on slowing down the car as much as possible prior to the impact.

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Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake

Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake is a groundbreaking technological solution. It can detect pedestrians who walk into the road in front of the car, warn the driver - and automatically apply full braking power if the driver does not respond in time.

"We are truly proud of our success in making our technology so reliable that we can offer a complete system that can avoid a collision with a pedestrian by detecting, alerting and applying full braking. It's a world first, to the best of our knowledge," noted Thomas Broberg, Senior Safety Advisor at Volvo Cars. "With this technology we have increased the braking force in our automatic braking system from fifty percent to full stopping power."

Can avoid collision with a pedestrian at up to 22 mph
In an emergency situation the driver first receives an audible warning combined with a flashing light in the windscreen's head-up display. At the same time, the car's brakes are pre-charged. If the driver does not react to the warning and an accident is imminent, full braking power is automatically applied.

Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at speeds of up to about 22 mph if the driver does not react in time. At higher speeds, the focus is on slowing down the S60 as much as possible prior to the impact.

A lower speed of impact means that the risk of serious injury is significantly reduced. For instance, if speed is cut from 30 mph to 15 mph, Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake is expected to reduce the fatality risk by as much as 20 percent and in some cases by up to 85 percent.