Volvo Uses Magnets to Guide Cars

Volvo Using Magnets (Credit: © Volvo)

Volvo is experimenting with the use of magnets to help autonomous cars stay in the correct position on roadways. The Swedish automaker recently wrapped up a study where it used a closed track with magnets embedded under the surface, all in an effort to see how well the technology works to keep Volvo autonomous models firmly in their traffic lane.

Other automakers have tried using cameras or GPS positioning software to achieve the same results. With cameras, the car “sees” the painted lines on the road and uses that information to keep it from straying into adjacent lanes. A big problem comes about when the lines on the road or the camera lens are obscured by snow, mud or other debris. GPS positioning software lets the vehicle know its exact position in relation to the lane lines, but obstacles like cloud cover and trees can render it temporarily useless.

According to Volvo, the magnets do not experience diminished or limited usefulness in a variety of situations, making it a more reliable method for keeping cars inside their lanes.

“The magnets create an invisible ‘railway’ that literally paves the way for a positioning inaccuracy of less than one decimetre. We have tested the technology at a variety of speeds and the results so far are promising,” says Jonas Ekmark, Preventive Safety Leader at Volvo Car Group.

In the past, Volvo has experimented with autonomous cars that act more like trains, following each other like railway cars traveling down the road. The new battery technique would allow vehicles to behave completely independently on the road. The magnets would tell cars if they were in danger of running off the road, helping eliminate such accidents. The automaker has also tried the system out for directing snow plows which cannot see obstacles like curbs, road signs and lane barriers, helping prevent damage. Volvo even speculates that the technology would allow for smaller lanes, helping save on space in crowded cities.