Volvo Cars participated in the Global Road and Traffic Safety Conference in Abu Dhabi. The two-day conference brought under scrutiny the latest road safety measures being implemented in the UAE.
The conference held in Abu Dhabi also reviewed UAE's milestones and achievements towards achieving its goals of being the global leader in road quality and infrastructure. Key stakeholders and decision makers including both public and private sectors attended the conference. Volvo Cars was the official Road Safety Partner, reviewing the main challenges surrounding the introduction of autonomous technology in automobiles. The Swedish automaker called for a new global road safety standard and highlighted how autonomous vehicles can safely communicate with all other road users.
Marcus Rothoff, Autonomous Drive Solution Architect and Director of Volvo Car Group (Sweden) stated while presenting the future of road safety: “In line with the UAE Vision 2021 of creating sustainable environment and infrastructure, Volvo Cars aims to lead the change towards building smart cities, which requires joint efforts among the public and private sectors. As a human-centric brand, we at Volvo aim to improve the daily lives of our customers through a holistic view of a future of mobility that is autonomous, electric, connected and safe.” Rothoff added: “Autonomous drive and safety are closely connected, and the technology has the potential to deliver the most significant improvement in traffic safety since Volvo Cars invented the three-point safety belt in 1959.”
With its new 360c autonomous concept, Volvo aims to tackle one of the most prominent challenges surrounding the introduction of autonomy to cars. Through the 360c concept, possible implications for the future of travel, city planning, infrastructure, and modern society's environmental footprint are taken into consideration. Not only does the concept redefine how people could travel, but it also gives a glimpse into how people could engage with each other while on the move. The Volvo 360c, in fact, has the potential to fundamentally alter society in many ways, backed by its autonomy.
Autonomous technology will penetrate the global automotive industry gradually rather than overnight. As a result, autonomous cars will be part of a mixed traffic situation in the future where they will share the road with other users. The focus of the conference was to create a universally accepted standard for driverless cars so that other road users don't have to alter their road behaviour considering the make and model of the autonomous car in front of them.
The  360c concept addresses the challenge with its system that consists of external sounds, colours, visuals, movements, as well as different combinations of the tools. The system is designed to effectively communicate with other road users, making the 360c's intentions clear. This means the car will effectively get the message through about what it intends to do next. Isn't the future of autonomous cars rather exciting once you bring the Volvo 360c concept in the picture?