Volvo Self-driving car (Photo : PC World)
Volvo's self-driving automobiles will be tested in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2017.
Peter Mertens, Volvo Group's Senior Vice President of Research and Development, explained that Volvo is entering unchartered territory.
"We are entering uncharted territory in the field of autonomous driving," Mertens stated. "Taking the exciting step to a public pilot, with the ambition to enable ordinary people to sit behind the wheel in normal traffic on public roads, has never been done before," Auto World News reported.
Some 100 Volvo users will be asked to test the self-driving vehicles on Gothenburg's public roads. The test is part of Volvo's Drive Me project whose vehicles will be equipped with sensors, intelligent braking systems, cloud based positioning platforms and steering technologies.
Setting it on auto-pilot will let the car take over driving. It allows the driver do other things like read a book, compose text messages or apply make-up.
Those that still want to drive their own the car can switch between autonomous and active driving.
Volvo's research and development still has a lot to do, however. A few of the biggest challenges are making the car respond to crossing pedestrians, unexpected road scenarios or other cars that cut in front of the autonomous vehicle..
Volvo technical specialist Erik Coelingh explained it's not difficult to build and demonstrate a self-driving car, but this car has to be safe for it to make a great impact on the world.
The self-driving car must have a great design and it has to be safe, robust, and affordable, according to PC World.
