Mercedes-Benz has just partnered with a Swedish company to enhance the road safety features of their vehicles. Terranet is pushing for the adoption of the VoxelFlow technology which is a cutting-edge collection of sensors. What this upgrade does is augment the modern collision detection system to reduce the chances of accidents.
With the exception of older models, most current-generation automobiles rely on their proprietary form of machine vision. Normally, this is a combination of regular cameras, ultrasonic transceivers, radar, and LiDAR. However, the limitation here is that the images are presented in 2D.
Although these are capable enough for most instances, their flaw can sometimes lead to unwanted situations. Thus, this is where the VoxelFlow sensor technology comes into play as it uses a different type of camera to see objects ahead.
Its array of three event cameras and a laser captures images in 3D. This allows the computer to quickly process the exact location of a potential hazard and take the necessary actions. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz wants to integrate the VoxelFlow platform with its LiveMAp navigation system.
According to Company CEO, Pär-Olof Johannesson “Scandinavia has a rich history in bringing world-changing safety measures to the automotive industry, and Terranet is continuing down that road with our VoxelFlow technology.”
While VoxelFlow sensor systems will benefit the future fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, its goals are even beyond that. With accuracy that brings to the table, Terranet could pave the way for safer autonomous vehicles. In fact, almost every carmaker hopes to make groundbreaking progress with driverless technology. Perhaps this collaboration is the push it needs.
Learn more
Images courtesy of Terranet
