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Volvo Developing Kangaroo Detection Technology in Australia

While moose are a huge road safety problem in Sweden, kangaroos also pose dangers to motorists in Australia. That's why Volvo Cars is developing a detection system to solve the kangaroo problem.
Volvo Developing Kangaroo Detection Technology in Australia 5 photos
Photo: Volvo
Volvo Developing Kangaroo Detection Technology in AustraliaVolvo Developing Kangaroo Detection Technology in AustraliaVolvo Developing Kangaroo Detection Technology in AustraliaVolvo Developing Kangaroo Detection Technology in Australia
A team of Volvo engineers traveled to Australia for the initial batch of tests that were carried out in Capital Territory. Their first task was to film these unique marsupial mammals in their natural habitat. The data they collected will be analyzed and used to make future car models less prone to wildlife collisions in Australia.

Just like with pedestrian or cyclist detection systems, Volvo hopes to combine data from two types of sensors. A radar sensor mounted in the grille scans the road ahead to detect all moving objects, such as animals, cars, cyclists and pedestrians. A high-resolution camera in the windscreen works in parallel with the radar to detect which way the object is moving and help the computer decide if action needs to be taken.

Ultimately, the driver is still responsible for his safety, as an audible warning is first emitted. If nothing is done and you're about to hit a kangaroo, it will automatically apply the brakes. It's all incorporated in the system Volvo sells as part of its City Safety package.

This type of technology is not designed to take responsibility away from drivers. If the driver is inattentive, the car will warn him or her and eventually intervene with hard braking to avoid a potential collision

“Kangaroos are very unpredictable animals and difficult to avoid, but we are confident we can refine our technology to detect them and avoid collisions on the highway,” said Martin Magnusson, Senior Safety Engineer at Volvo Cars.

“In Sweden we have done research involving larger, slower moving animals like moose, reindeer and cows which are a serious threat on our roads. Kangaroos are smaller than these animals and their behavior is more erratic. This is why it’s important that we test and calibrate our technology on real kangaroos in their natural environment,” he added.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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