Volvo’s Driverless Cars Cant Keep Up With Kangaroos

Driverless cars are getting more and more accurate. But there’s one problem Volvo has run into that we don’t think about here in the states…kangaroos. The automaker obviously considered animals on the road when making the cars, but kangaroos have proved to be a bit trickier during testing than it anticipated. According to Jalopnik, the kangaroo’s hopping throws off the car’s whole detection system. The sensors and cameras on board use the ground as the main reference point and the Volvo system can’t quite predict the movements of kangaroos when they leave and touch back on the pavement so quick.

Volvo Australia’s technical manager said when a kangaroo is mid-air it actually seems further away and then looks closer when it lands. Volvo prides itself on leading in car safety and has been testing animal collision, specifically kangaroo, since 2015 since 80% of animal collisions in Australia involve kangaroos. Have you encountered kangaroos on the road? Let us know.

This week on PowerNation our 4 shops have some handy takeaways you could use on your builds. Plus Katie will feature this beautifully restored 1949 Chevy pickup named ‘Ol 49 that’s been passed down from one generation to the next. Owners Jo and Adrean Shelton restored the truck in Jo’s dad’s memory. They turned to The Hot Rod Shop in Corinth, Mississippi to transform the 3/4 ton flatbed into a more modern classic truck in about 9 months. After lots of body work on the steel body, they dropped in a GM crate 350 engine that rolls on American Racing Wheels and Goodyear rubber. The bed is Oak with a Jacobean stain finished off with polished stainless steel strips and bolts.

Jo chose the PPG “Carbon Black Metallic” paint color. The interior is two-tone with Charcoal and Ruby leather filled with all the creature comforts, done by M & M Hot Rod Interiors. Also this week Team Summit NHRA Funny Car racer Tim Wilkerson will have a tip on picking fuel cells. It’s one full block of tech so make sure you join us.