Car Shipping Carriers has been blogging about the future of cars and autonomous driving car. We have discussed how Google is perfecting it in their own branded egg-shaped vehicles and in nicer Lexus models fitted with cameras and sensors. We have also discussed Apple’s path getting into the industry with a self-driving car perhaps. We have discussed the testing of haulers getting licensing in Nevada to test out and perfect the software. These types of cars and carriers are coming in the immediate future, but Volvo might have a leg up on the competition for the moment. It is called Pilot Assist and it is currently available on the2016 XC90 which is in showrooms floors right now.
What is Pilot Assist? Well, it is a system that will allow the Volvo to lock in on the car in front of it when driving less than 30 mph using a radar. There is then a high-mounted camera that is reading the lane markings to ensure you are staying in your own lane. Once this happens the Volvo will start driving itself. It will take over the steering, the throttle, braking, etc.. It is not a hands-free driving device, though, because the Volvo will alert you if it feels you have zoned out. It feels your hands on the steering wheel. If your hands are not on the steering wheel for more than 15 seconds the chime will go off to remind you, “Hey, keep you hands on the wheel dummy.”. haha
To our knowledge, this is the first “self-driving” car we have seen on the roads that is available for sale at this time. This Volvo self driving car feature is really cool because many Americans are on the highways or city streets during morning and afternoon rush hours hardly going any speed at all. This Volvo Pilot Assist is the perfect feature to have in your vehicle. You could read a book or magazie leisurely, text, talk on the phone, etc. and not have to worry about an accident because the car is driving itself. You still have to pay attention to the road because the car will only go up to 30 mph and nothing more so if traffic lightens up you’ll have to take over and keep up with the flow of traffic.
These self driving features are going to keep popping up and we feel it will save time to many people by not having as many accidents on the roads, not as much traffic because the computer systems in the cars will drive better than most humans can. Have you seen people on the roads, they are horrible. The Volvo Pilot Assist is a great feature and something people should think about when purchasing their next vehicle. It might just be a Volvo.