R-34
11-02-2003, 12:09 AM
A radical concept Volvo at this year’s Sydney Motor Show combines eye-catching good looks with a host of pioneering active safety systems.
It also gives a hint of how a possible future small sporty Volvo might look.
The Volvo Safety Concept Car (SCC) is a car built for the eye. And that not only refers to the way it looks, but also to the fact that the car is designed to give the driver near-perfect visibility.
The SCC has been designed to substantially improve driver visibility compared to conventional cars.
The design of the SCC was inspired by research which revealed that roughly 90 percent of all vital driver information takes the form of visual input through the car’s windscreen and windows.
The pillars on either side of the windscreen of the SCC have therefore been rendered partly transparent through the use of a steel box construction combined with see-through Plexiglas.
The pillars at the back of the doors curve inward at the top to give the driver an unobstructed field of vision to the offset rear.
The SCC has sensors embedded in the door mirrors and rear bumper which alert the driver to any vehicle in his/her rear blind spot. Rearward facing cameras on both sides of the car, the roof bar and the rear of the vehicle transmit images to a monitor on the instrument panel.
Sensors pinpoint the position of the driver’s head and automatically adjust the position of the steering wheel, floor, pedals and centre console to ensure that the driver’s eyes are in the optimum position for visibility.
At night, forward vision is improved by an infra-red camera and adaptive headlights, which automatically change their shape to suit driving conditions and point into corners.
The SCC is bristling with safety systems, some of which will find their way into future Volvo production cars.
Apart from those mentioned above, other features include: collision warning sensors, inadvertent lane change alert system, four-point seat belts, advanced control for entry, starting etc, child-friendly electrically adjustable rear seats, and external pedestrian air-bag.
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-1.jpg
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-2.jpg
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-3.jpg
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-4.jpg
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-5.jpg
automotive-technology.com
It also gives a hint of how a possible future small sporty Volvo might look.
The Volvo Safety Concept Car (SCC) is a car built for the eye. And that not only refers to the way it looks, but also to the fact that the car is designed to give the driver near-perfect visibility.
The SCC has been designed to substantially improve driver visibility compared to conventional cars.
The design of the SCC was inspired by research which revealed that roughly 90 percent of all vital driver information takes the form of visual input through the car’s windscreen and windows.
The pillars on either side of the windscreen of the SCC have therefore been rendered partly transparent through the use of a steel box construction combined with see-through Plexiglas.
The pillars at the back of the doors curve inward at the top to give the driver an unobstructed field of vision to the offset rear.
The SCC has sensors embedded in the door mirrors and rear bumper which alert the driver to any vehicle in his/her rear blind spot. Rearward facing cameras on both sides of the car, the roof bar and the rear of the vehicle transmit images to a monitor on the instrument panel.
Sensors pinpoint the position of the driver’s head and automatically adjust the position of the steering wheel, floor, pedals and centre console to ensure that the driver’s eyes are in the optimum position for visibility.
At night, forward vision is improved by an infra-red camera and adaptive headlights, which automatically change their shape to suit driving conditions and point into corners.
The SCC is bristling with safety systems, some of which will find their way into future Volvo production cars.
Apart from those mentioned above, other features include: collision warning sensors, inadvertent lane change alert system, four-point seat belts, advanced control for entry, starting etc, child-friendly electrically adjustable rear seats, and external pedestrian air-bag.
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-1.jpg
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-2.jpg
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-3.jpg
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-4.jpg
http://www.automotive-technology.com/projects/volvo_safety_car/images/83VSCC-5.jpg
automotive-technology.com