Volvo's smart seatbelt knows your build and weight
Volvo Cars has developed a "Multi-adaptive safety belt" that can detect a person's size and weight. The innovation will appear in the all-electric Volvo EX60 crossover in 2026.
Here's What We Know
The car scans the passenger using sensors to determine their height, weight, build and how they sit. Depending on this, different belt tensioner forces are applied in the event of an accident. For example, for a large person, the belt tensioner force will be stronger in a hard impact. And for a skinny passenger of small stature, under comparable conditions, the force will be less, so as not to break the ribs.
"Smart belt" works in conjunction with airbags and other protection systems. They all communicate with each other to keep the person as safe as possible. If earlier belts had only three operating modes, now there are eleven. The system analyses the accident in a fraction of a second: from which side the impact comes, what speed, in what position the person is sitting. And immediately selects the optimum setting.
The most interesting thing is that the seatbelt control system will learn and receive updates over the air. The more data Volvo collects, the better cars will be able to protect their passengers.
The development was tested in Volvo's own laboratory, which recently turned 25 years old. Engineers there reproduce any accidents and conduct crash tests using more rigorous methodologies than independent organisations.
Source: Volvo
