Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the modern three-point safety belt in 1959, and the company gave away the patent for free. It’s estimated that the invention has saved more than one million lives. Now, the Swedish automaker aims to take seatbelt technology to the next level.
Debuting in the EX60 electric crossover next year, Volvo’s new smart seatbelt is designed to enhance safety by adapting to each occupant’s body, with the ultimate goal of saving millions more lives. Sensors throughout the cabin relay information to the seatbelt system, which can respond “in less than the blink of an eye” in the event of an accident. Based on real-time data, the adaptive seatbelt selects the optimal configuration to maximize protection.
According to Volvo, the onboard sensors can accurately detect a passenger’s height, weight, body shape, and seating position. Additional inputs from exterior and crash sensors help the system determine the direction of impact and adjust accordingly.
The adaptive seatbelt is also future-proof, engineered to support over-the-air updates. Yes, even a seatbelt will receive software upgrades in the near future. Compared to current Volvo seatbelts, the new system increases the number of load-limiting profiles from three to eleven, offering a wider range of automatically selected settings to improve safety across all body types.
Co-developed with German automotive supplier ZF, the “multi-adaptive safety belt” also incorporates AI to determine the best settings during a crash. It even adjusts to changing traffic conditions to reduce the risk of serious injury further. Volvo remains committed to its ambitious vision of zero traffic fatalities, and this next-generation seatbelt marks another step toward that goal.
Given Volvo’s longstanding focus on safety, this smart seatbelt is likely to expand across the entire vehicle lineup. While the EX60 will debut the technology, most, if not all, future models are expected to benefit from it.
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Source: Volvo
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