As carmakers continue their bid to field autonomous driving vehicles within the next few years, a lot of them are moving into the testing phase, to develop this tech and iron out all the kinks. One of the latest ones to do real world testing is Volvo Cars. And it does so with the help of a few Swedish families.
Volvo Cars recently sought the help of the Hains and Simonovski families to help develop its autonomous drive technologies. Each family received a new XC90 fitted with a host of cameras and sensors, as well as the latest driver assistance technologies. These devices are meant to monitor driver behavior behind the wheel, how one interacts with the vehicle, and the vehicle’s surroundings.
All the Hains and Simonovskis need to do is drive in as normal a fashion as possible. While they know that there are driver assistance systems on board, they still need to keep their hands on the steering wheel and supervise the car’s driving behavior. Moreover, they will go about their regular daily activities—going to work, ferrying the kids to school, making a grocery run, and the like. All this on public roads in and around Gothenburg.
Over the course of testing, the Volvo Drive Me project, as it is known, will tap more familes and individuals to help out. Three more families will be added in 2018, with hundred or so more people being included within the next four years. At the same time, Volvo will encourage participants to ease off and take their hands off the steering wheel. All this, of course, will be under the watchful eye of trained Volvo personnel.
Volvo plans to have an autonomous vehicle commercially available by the year 2021.
