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Saturday, 22 June 2013

VOLVO DEVELOPS AUTONOMOUS SELF-PARKING CAR


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Volvo's autonomous self-parking car
By Angus MacKenzie,
Gizmag, 21 June 2013.

Volvo Car Group, known for building safe cars, has been busy expanding its autonomous portfolio. Last year Volvo finished its multi-vehicle “Safe Road Train” (SARTRE) program in Europe with reasonable success. Next week Volvo will again bolster its autonomous program with its self-parking concept car.

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Once the car has found a spot it sends the owner a notification of its location and that it has parked safely.

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Self parking car seeks out an open parking space and when identified, parks itself and waits for the retrieve command

According to Volvo, the new autonomous concept program would allow drivers to drop their car off near a parking lot in a designated zone, activate the autonomous smart phone app, and the car does the rest. Working off Volvo’s modified autonomous technology, the car then seeks out an open parking space and when identified, parks itself and waits for the retrieve command. Once the car has found a spot it sends the owner a notification of its location and that it has parked. Volvo's Vehicle 2 Infrastructure technology in-road sensors are required to inform drivers of drop off locations and activate the system.

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Smart phone app signals the car to return to the owner at a designated location.

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Drivers signal the vehicle to park via a smart phone app once the vehicle has been exited at a pre-determined location

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Autonomous system uses Vehicle 2 Infrastructure technology and in-road sensors to inform drivers of
drop off and pick up locations.

To avoid autonomous road rage and traffic incidents, Volvo has programmed the vehicle and its various sensors and cameras to interact in a safe and courteous manner with both pedestrians and competing vehicles. To retrieve the car, owners can either walk to where the car has located itself, or using Volvo’s smart phone app signal the car which will then autonomously make its way back to the owner at the designated pick up zone.

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Self parking car uses existing autonomous technology Volvo has developed through its SARTRE road-train program.

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Autonomous program is designed to free up driver's time, otherwise taken up searching for parking spots and
walking to a fro aforementioned parking locations.

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Autonomous system is still conceptual but the following video shows the system can function in real world situations

Although the system is still conceptual at this point, the accompanying video provides reasonable proof that the autonomous program can function in real world situations. Volvo claims autonomous steering will be available in the 2014 Volvo XC90. Self parking however will remain a hands-on responsibility until Volvo perfects the self-parking technology.

See Volvo's video below for more.


Top image: Vehicle sensors and cameras scan for pedestrians and vehicles, then trigger braking and steering adjustments as needed.

Article Source: Volvo Car Group

[Post Source: Gizmag. Edited. Some links added.]



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