Volvo tests kangaroo detection system
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Volvo is developing a system to detect kangaroos’ unique movement, in order to curb road accidents in Australia.
While more camera-based solutions are being developed to help drivers avoid other road users, in Australia, where many road accidents are caused by hopping kangaroos, Volvo are developing technology specifically designed to avoid the unpredictable marsupials.
Volvo currently have a team shooting footage of ‘roo roadside behaviour in Australia. Having developed moose-avoidance technology in their native Sweden, Volvo believes kangaroos pose unique problems with their erratic behavior, so the team is calibrating their technology on real kangaroos in their natural environment. The detection system — radar and video capture and an automatic breaking procedure 24 times more responsive than human reflexes — could save the lives of humans too, with kangaroos often smashing through front windscreens with their unique point of impact.
With over 20000 kangaroo strikes costing AUD 75 million per year, demand for a solution is high. Should more companies manufacture vehicles for country-specific solutions?