Volvo has developed a personal car communicator with a heartbeat sensor aimed at determining whether a car is occupied or not.
This pocket-size world first will be available in the new Volvo S80, to be launched in Sweden this month. It also provides information which the Volvo website says could be crucial to the security of the car owner in certain situations.
In a few seonds the car owner can acquire information by simply pressing a button, about:
- Whether there is someone in the car, which is registered using a highly sensitive heartbeat sensor.
- Whether the car is locked or unlocked.
- Whether the alarm is activated or not.
The information is accessible as long as the sensor is within 100m of the car; however, the most recent information is stored so that the owner can always check to see if the car was actually locked when it was parked.
Volvo's Silvia Güllsdorf said: "It is important to have control over what is happening around you in an increasingly insecure world, particularly when travelling by car.
"Personal security is one of the cornerstones of the Volvo safety profile. It's about having your car left undisturbed and avoiding situations that could entail personal risk."