Volvo presents revolutionary technology for autonomous cars

The Luminar launcher is the leader in the development of basic sensing technology for self-propelled cars. Previously, sensor technology had been developed and tested for Volvo cars, but this year the automaker bought Luminar through the Volvo Cars Tech fund, and the results of their extensive cooperation are now being presented.

At Automobility LA, Volvo has the most advanced lid cover detection and detection capabilities to date. The lidar is a central element of all the sensors of the self-propelled cars. The technology is based on a rotating ball that emits a lot of pulsed laser light. The grid of points measures the distance to the objects and gives a good image of the environment.

Previously, Velodyne was a dominant provider and its latest system includes 128 laser beams that can generate several million data points per second. In the scenes, there are also members in the solid state, systems that have managed to erase moving parts. The technology is more compact and systems can use fewer sources and laser receivers.

But now, Volvo and Luminar are opposed to a system that can detect human bags, including different parts of the body, such as arms and legs. This is a level of detail that was not possible before for the type of sensor.

Technology detects objects at a distance of 250 meters

With its ability to reliably read environments over a long distance, autonomous authors can navigate safely in complex traffic environments – and at higher speeds. The new technology from Volvo and Luminar can detect objects up to 250 meters, which consumes a much longer battery life than the currently available lidware technology.

– Autonomous technology will take driving safely beyond human constraints. This promise to improve safety is why Volvo Cars wants to be a leader in autonomous driving. Ultimately, the technology will also generate benefits for our customers and for society as a whole. Luminar shares our ambition to realize these benefits, and the new perception technology is an important next step in this process, "said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research and Development at Volvo Cars, in a press release.

Volvo is the first of Lumini's partners to make full use of the development platform for better perception. The technology will help the automaker realize its vision of autonomous travel, as previously described in the Volvo 360c.

"The Volvo Cars R & D team is working at an impressive pace to solve some of the most advanced problems in autonomous driving development, and as we move forward, they are always at the forefront of the development of 39; an autonomous system that removes the driver from the equation – and ultimately allows the integration of technology into physical vehicles for consumers, said Austin Russell, founder and CEO of Luminar.

The 360c concept is a vision of four potential uses of autonomous vehicles: a sleeping environment, a mobile office, a living room and a place of entertainment – uses that are supposed to redefine the way we travel. The 360c also introduces a draft global standard on how autonomous vehicles can communicate safely with all other road users. In Los Angeles, a special 360c virtual reality station and Volvo Cars illustrate a vision of autonomous travel.