Volvo Cars Utilizes AI And Virtual Worlds To Develop Safer Cars
Mar 21, 2025
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This is a measure to elaborately utilize accident data collected based on advanced sensors installed in the latest models for safer car development. It aims to reconstruct accident situations through AI-generated realistic virtual worlds and explore new ways such as emergency braking, rapid steering changes, and manual intervention to more effectively understand how to avoid accidents.
An advanced computational technique called 'Gaussian Splatting' is used here. It is a method of generating a large amount of high-resolution 3D scenes and subjects that are implemented close to reality. Through this, various learning results can be obtained by adding or excluding pedestrians on the road or changing the virtual environment in the form of changing traffic conditions and obstacles.
In addition, safety software for different types of traffic situations can be developed and verified at speeds and scales previously impossible. Here, although very rare, it is also possible to study extreme accident cases with potential risks and develop new safety software in a short time.
Alwin Bakkenes, General Manager of Volvo Cars Global Software Engineering, said, "We already have millions of data on very thin accident moments that we can use to develop software. And now through Gaussian Splatting, thousands of modified accident scenarios can be created and models can be learned and verified for each of these cases. "This will have the potential to analyze data on a scale that was previously impossible and prevent accidents before they occur in the real world," he said.
Meanwhile, Volvo Cars has a long tradition of improving safety through data and advanced technology. In particular, since the 1970s, a safety research team has been formed on its own and has visited actual accident sites to collect a lot of data. This became the basis for innovative technologies that could save countless lives, including the Whiplash Injuries Protection System and the Side Impact Protection System.
By introducing new advanced technology here, solutions that can prevent dangerous situations based on accumulated data are introduced.
Especially recently, we are exploring new technologies such as 'Gaussian Splatting' by expanding our cooperation with NVIDIA. As a result, the next-generation Volvo electric vehicle will be equipped with an AI super computing platform based on the Nvidia DGX system that can more accurately understand the situation around the vehicle by analyzing various sensor data collected inside and outside the vehicle. Through this, it is expected to be able to analyze vast amounts of data and derive new insights to train safety models in the future, and to improve the speed of AI development.
Also Volvo Cars has introduced its own virtual environment in collaboration with AI, its software subsidiary, and Zenseact for software training, development, and verification along with actual testing to develop safe, scalable, and efficient solutions.
Editor Song Moon-cheol happymotors@naver.com
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
