Greater than some other automotive firm, Volvo is synonymous with security. Volvo scientists invented and carried out the primary three-point seatbelts in 1959, the primary facet airbags in 1994, the primary facet curtain airbags in 1998, the primary rollover stability management system in 2002, the primary blind-spot screens in 2004, the primary pedestrian airbags in 2012, and extra. Volvos have at all times been seen as smart, protected, and good automotive selections, and that is not altering any time quickly. As we speak, Volvo introduced its newest security innovation that can debut within the entrance seats of the upcoming EX60 electrical crossover: multi-adaptive security belts that immediately modify the stiffness of the restraint system primarily based in your construct for optimum occupant safety throughout a crash.
These smarter multi-adaptive belts practically quadruple the variety of restraint pressure curves as present seatbelts, utilizing real-time sensor knowledge to customise safety primarily based on the occupant’s peak, weight, physique form, seating place, in addition to the crash sort and severity. They supply optimum restraint for the particular sort of crash that the sensors inside and outdoors of the EX60 detect, scale back the chance of rib fractures for smaller occupants, and supply enhanced restraint for bigger, heavier occupants. Volvo’s 50 years of crash security analysis primarily based on over 80,000 occupants concerned in real-life accidents knowledgeable the brand new seatbelts, and they’re going to proceed to develop into smarter over time due to their potential to obtain over-the-air updates.
Actual-world crash knowledge knowledgeable its growth
In and round Volvo’s hometown of Gothenberg, Sweden, the carmaker has a crew of “crash scene investigators” who shortly report back to the scene of any crash involving a Volvo to analyze each potential variable concerned within the crash. Since 1970 the Volvo Automobile Accident Analysis Staff because it’s formally named, has collected and analyzed in depth crash knowledge from about 30-to-50 real-life accidents annually round Gothenburg to tell future Volvo Automobiles security improvements, together with the multi-adaptive security belt.
Trendy seatbelts use load limiters that restrict how a lot pressure they apply on the occupant’s physique throughout a crash primarily based on a most of three load profiles, however the brand new multi-adaptive belts allow 11 completely different load-limiting profiles whereas being simply 7 mm wider than a daily pretensioner to raised accommodate a wider array of physique varieties and accident varieties. Volvo used the real-world knowledge collected by its Automobile Accident Analysis Staff to tell the engineering course of for this new multi-adjustable seatbelt design, which goals to reduce accidents attributable to suboptimal seatbelt forces. So as to take action, the brand new seatbelts immediately contemplate knowledge from a number of completely different sensors and cameras inside and outdoors the automotive, although since Volvo is introducing the belt on the yet-to-be-unveiled EX60, it is not going to share precisely what sort of sensors the system makes use of simply but.
The driving force monitor digicam and different inside sensors will immediately monitor every little thing concerning the occupant, and when mixed with exterior cameras and sensors, they inform the seatbelt which load profile would be the most acceptable to make use of to safe distinctive occupants within the most secure method potential for distinctive crash situations. The belts can obtain over-the-air updates to repeatedly enhance their skills as Volvo’s Automobile Accident Analysis Staff collects extra real-world crash knowledge. Different particulars about Volvo’s newest security improvements are slim because it debuts on a automobile that hasn’t been launched but, however we are going to replace you with specifics as quickly as potential.
