Are magnets the next revelation in autonomous cars?

Posted on 11-03-2014 at 12:31 by sir_smokalot – 27 Comments”

Magnets in the road surface so your car’s accurate position to hold, the Volvo feels quite attracted to it. The results of a trial are ‘very encouraging’.

Not only GPS and sensors the autonomous cars of the future in his job to keep, Volvo is also examining the use of ‘wegmagneten’: a pattern of round ferrite magnets 200 mm below the surface of the road underground. By cars with sensors to equip communicate both with each other and the vehicle is in theory very steady on course.

Currently running in the Swedish Gotenborg, a large-scale pilot project in which 100 self-propelled Volvo cars participate in the daily traffic. Additional advantages of the use of wegmagneten are o.a. it is possible that a car hits the road, indicate the exact place of temporary road marking (useful if signs e.d. through the snow are invisible) and the more efficient use of the road. Thanks to the exact positioning of lanes narrower (provided that 100% of the fleet moves on to magneetsensoren).

About the biggest drawback you hear Volvo, however, not, but this seems to us to be quite essential: in new roads, you can take it into account, but how do you put magnets under the existing road surface? And how much does a kilometer of road cost extra with these magnets? And have these things no distortive effect on the car’s existing electronics?

Nevertheless, it is always good to have as many possible opportunities to explore in this area of course. If you are on your hands, sit happens anyway nothing.