High-tech "hands-free" Volvo car train premieres on public roads

MANILA, Philippines - For the first time ever, a car train comprising a Volvo XC60, a Volvo V60 and a Volvo S60 plus one truck automatically driving in convoy behind a lead vehicle has operated on a public motorway among other road users. The historic test in Spain was highly successful.

 Vehicle platoon tests in the Safe Road Trains for the Environment project (SARTRE)—a joint venture between Ricardo UK Ltd, Applus+ Idiada, Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge Aachen (IKA), SP Technical Research Institute, Volvo Technology and Volvo Car Corporation—are making progress. One major step forward was taken last week on a motorway outside Barcelona—the first-ever test drive of a road train among other road users.

 “We covered 200 kilometers in one day and the test turned out well. We’re really delighted,” says Linda Wahlström, project manager for the SARTRE project at Volvo Car Corporation.

 A road train consists of a lead vehicle driven by a professional driver followed by a number of vehicles. Building on Volvo Car Corporation’s and Volvo Technology’s already existing safety systems—including features such as cameras, radar and laser sensors—the vehicles monitor the lead vehicle and also other vehicles in their immediate vicinity. By adding in wireless communication, the vehicles in the platoon “mimic” the lead vehicle using Ricardo autonomous control—accelerating, braking and turning in exactly the same way as the leader.

 The project aims to deliver improved comfort for drivers, who can now spend their time doing other things while driving. They can work on their laptops, read a book or sit back and enjoy a relaxed lunch.

 Naturally the project also aims to improve traffic safety, reduce environmental impact and—thanks to smooth speed control—cut the risk of traffic tailbacks.

 “Driving among other road-users is a great milestone in our project. It was truly thrilling,” says Wahlström. The vehicles drove at 85 kph. The gap between each vehicle was just six meters. “During our trials on the test circuit, we tried out gaps from five to fifteen meters,” relates Wahlström.

Quick acclimatization

Sitting in a car just six meters behind another one while travelling at 85 kph and relying totally on the technology may feel a bit scary. But the experiences gained so far indicate that people acclimatize very quickly.

 The three-year SARTRE project has been under way since 2009. All told, the vehicles in the project have covered about 10,000 kilometers. After the test on the public roads in Spain, the project is now entering a new phase with the focus on analysis of fuel consumption.

 “We’ve learnt a whole lot during this period. People think that autonomous driving is science fiction, but the fact is that the technology is already here. From the purely conceptual viewpoint, it works fine and road train will be around in one form or another in the future,” says Wahlström.

 “We’ve focused really hard on changing as little as possible in existing systems. Everything should function without any infrastructure changes to the roads or expensive additional components in the cars. Apart from the software developed as part of the project, it is really only the wireless network installed between the cars that set them apart from other cars available in showrooms today,” she added.

 SARTRE aims to encourage a change in personal transport usage through the development of safe environmental road trains (platoons). Prototypes that will facilitate the safe adoption of road trains on un-modified public highways with full interaction with non-platoon vehicles are being developed. The project is addressing the three cornerstone transportation issues of environment, safety and congestion while at the same time encouraging driver acceptance through the prospect of increased driver comfort.