[ad_1]
Volvo announced on Wednesday that it would use cameras installed inside its vehicles to monitor the driver's behavior and intervene if the driver appeared drunk or distracted. This is a risky move by a car manufacturer, even known for its safety, like Volvo, which could cause concern among privacy advocates.
Volvo's on-board cameras will monitor eye movements to measure driver distraction and / or intoxication. If a driver looks away for a while, for example on a smartphone, or fails to keep his hand on the steering wheel, a representative from Volvo's support centers will call to allow him to register . the road, or even the eyes closed, will also be prevented. If they do not respond, the car will slow down and even stop. The system will be deployed on all Volvo cars in early 2020.
This follows Volvo's recent announcement that it will limit the maximum speed of all its vehicles to 180 km / h in order to reduce road accidents. Volvo defines these new policies as key elements of its Vision 2020 goal, according to which no one will be killed or seriously injured in a Volvo vehicle by 2020. Over the years, the company has built its reputation about safety and its original designs. intended to emphasize that.
"In safety, our goal is to avoid accidents rather than limit the impact when an accident is imminent and inevitable," said Henrik Green, executive vice president. , Research and Development at Volvo Car Group, in a statement. "In this case, the cameras monitor behaviors that may result in serious injury or death."
The use of onboard cameras to monitor drivers is not completely unprecedented. Cadillac uses driver-oriented infrared cameras to power its advanced driver badistance system, Super Cruise. The camera follows the driver's eye movements, allowing a hands-free driving experience. If the driver's attention gets lost, Super Cruise uses a growing series of audible and vibrant alerts to keep the driver's eyes on the road.
As cameras proliferate in the name of security, there is a real risk that they will be misused to violate privacy. At an event in Sweden on Wednesday, the company preemptively rejected this criticism by comparing it to an anticipated objection to seatbelt laws.
Volvo knows that it will face the objections of "Big Brother" – here are some of the things people said in 1959 when introducing the seatbelt: pic.twitter.com/kR90oYMxkp
– Peter Campbell (@ Petercampbell1) March 20, 2019
Car manufacturers already collect a lot of information about your car today, but mainly for vehicle badysis. GM said the camera on his Cadillac cars was not recording anything; it's just a buffered video stream to make sure Super Cruise is working as it should.
Volvo did not respond to questions regarding access to the vehicle's camera, but in a statement it was clarified that the exact technical configuration of the camera had not yet been decided.
"With the cameras, Volvo wants to collect data only in order to make its cars safer and only the data needed for the systems," said a spokesperson in an email. "The cameras do not record video and no data will be collected without the consent of the user. The exact technical configuration remains to be determined. "
Update of March 20th at 1:18 pm ET include a statement from a Volvo spokesperson regarding confidentiality issues.
[ad_2]
Source link
