Volvo has completed a research project using magnets in the roadway to help a car determine its position – the study is aimed at determining reliable and highly accurate positioning, one of the crucial issues in the development of self-driving cars.
A 100-metre long test track was created at the company’s testing facilities in Hällered in Gothenburg, Sweden, where a pattern of round ferrite magnets measuring 40 x 15 mm were placed 200 mm below the road surface, and a test mule was equipped with several magnetic field sensors. The programme evaluated key areas such as detection range, reliability, durability, cost and the impact on road maintenance.
While established positioning technologies such as GPS and cameras have limitations in certain conditions, road-integrated magnets remain unaffected by physical obstacles and poor weather, effectively creating an invisible ‘railway’ that could pave the way for a positioning inaccuracy of less than one decimetre (10 cm).
Aside from its potential in the field of autonomous driving, road-integrated magnets open up a number of other possibilities. The incorporation of magnet-based positioning in preventive safety systems could help prevent run-off road accidents, and there’s also a possibility of more efficient utilisation of road space, with accurate positioning allowing lanes to be narrower.
The automaker already has a large-scale autonomous driving pilot project in place, in which 100 self-driving Volvo cars will use 50 km of public roads in everyday driving conditions around the Swedish city of Gothenburg.
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There is a project that has been studying replacing Asphalt with special Solar Penal. Studys have shown that if all of US highways(just highways, no B-road or anything) were to be replaced with this Solar panal, it would generate three times(3x!!) the electricity of what the US is currently using. Solar road penals can also be more durable, replaced quicker and can have LED enbeded to provide some artificial and programable road guide lines. Baby steps are taken right now, UK and neatherlands are already begining to employ photoluminicient road lines to cut down on street light thus saving electricity and also increase safety.
Along with the ever advancing innovation in cars ,smart roads also plays a major role in enforcing road safety and increasing energy efficiency world wide. Los Angeles and even Kuala Lumpur has started replacing gas bulbs for LED ones, this not only are more energy efficient, but are also brighter and clearer and add to that, LEDs also last longer. There is no doubt that Volvo’s new research will play a Major role in the introduction of autonomous highway, but it also can develope furthur, Special magnetic induction lane or stretch can be placed to charge EV vehicle throu induction; this technology is already used throu mass production smart phone and seeing how Rolls Royce and Toyota is already studying this and Proterra is already developing Busses that have magnetic induction on the roof that charge at every stop, surely this development is not too far fetch.
This new road technology surely profitable for Kroni road contractors.
Imagine if each magnet cost RM1 million multiply by total length of roads, highways in Bolehland…..Wow, Pak Cik kayo!!!
We are discussing on how to improve our way of going places. Yet your mind still stuck on politics. Shame on u…
At least if you’re capable to think, though not positively, you may highlight the risk of these magnets being stolen by bad people and risk the safety of traveler in self driven vehicle/s…
But u stuck there… politics 24-7…
stupid chick….still must wear safety belt la.
Wow, in a country like Malaysia, if one day we implement the magnetic system, I bet on the next day people will start to remove by digging it out and eventually sell it. No way in this boleh land.
My opinion differs slightly. If this is being implemented here, I dont know how many time the magnet needs to be replaced due to the digging of road by tnb, tm, syabas…all at different time!
My theory is even more interesting. What if one of the magnet or few kaput? causing sudden sharp turn or imbalance of the vehicle that may cause accident?
do we still need cars if we aren’t driving?
Soon we will have elevated cars like in total recall. Sadly I won’t be able to see this come true lol
sorry no matter how advanced this autonomous driving technology is, it’s still not for me. i like to drive myself and not relying on the technology fully. i don’t see the logic of putting one’s life into the hand of technology, no matter how advanced and safe they are. they are still, after all, technology, and that means it can go hair wire anytime. thank you.
In Malaysia, I can see this being useful for highways. For normal roads, I think our road maintenance standard are too low; making this unfeasible.
Next stop….teleportation….
sweden used to have very high fatality collision – especially due to slippery road surface in winter and drunk driving (liquor/lager to keep body warm, i think? – coz i dont consume alcohol).
because of that reason national cars like volvo focused a lot on safety. things like super strong body, laminated windscreen, safety belt and later 3 point safety belt, softer dashboard materials and side impact protection system were all innovated by them. surely, companies like mercedez benz also contributed in aspects like SRS airbag, ABS & ESP.
porsche invented tyre pressure monitoring system back in 1986 with the 959.
this is to say – if sweden with death rate due to collision can do the same, why not malaysia? our proton R&D engineers need to have a passion in road safety (both active & passive) with initiative of innovation.
proton still not up to industry standards in euro ncap, where 1 of its main aspect is pedestrian safety. an example of this is Jaguar with bonnet that popped up by airbags to cushion pedestrian impact. Volvo is at the end stage of pillow airbags to protect head injusries from windscreen impact (go google image or youtube).
back to topic – this new concept can be useful in cities like KL. cars can be left in adaptive cruise control.. gaps can be reduced to a minimal between each cars and by having everyone moving at a same constant speed traffic jams are likely be reduced as well (one of the causes on traffic jams are some cars are at low speed, some drivers at higher. some weaved in and out and brake… causing others to brake. and those who cut ques will probably make others to brake when they squeeze back in lane.
this and of course, better traffic enforcement and system planning.
The picture shows the lady reading a magazine while driving. This is nothing new in Malaysia, our drivers have been doing this (which also include texting, putting on make-up etc.) for years without any vehicle positioning technology.
Outdated la Sweden … ;-)
Joking aje, jgn bash ye…
Haha…
Plus eating breakfast, play with children, and much more activities, without the need to invest so much on facilities. ;p
Ai Yo! Over here apa pun kena dig out … road side …taman metal drain cover also “missing” … Dun said this tech stuff …
correct, now my bubu also hilang,dont know who take it
The woman seat and reading magazine like in LRT. Great and good technology but i’m sure, if i’m the driver, i will see front.
Don’t think this can be implemented in Malaysia..our roads are super duper lubang..hehe
what happened if e few magnet terkopek due to accident or due to flash flood, or covered with dirt, etc?? Or what happened if someone dumps a few stray magnet on the road??