Volvo Debuts New IoT Seatbelt Design (caranddriver.com) 60
Longtime Slashdot reader sinij shares a report from Car and Driver: [Volvo] is debuting a new version of the three-point seatbelt that it believes is a major improvement over the original. The new design will be a smart belt that adapts to each occupant's body and adjusts the belt load accordingly. It uses data from interior and exterior sensors to customize protection based on the road conditions and the specific occupants. The technology will debut on the upcoming EX60 crossover.
According to Volvo, the onboard sensors can accurately detect a passenger's height, weight, body shape, and seating position. Based on real-time data, the belts optimize protection -- increasing belt load for larger passengers or lowering it for smaller passengers. While the technology for customizing protection isn't new -- Volvo's current belts already use three load-limiting profiles- the new belts increase that number to 11. The belts should also get safer over time, too, as they are equipped to receive over-the-air updates. sinij adds: "Downloading patches for your seat belts from China. What could possibly go wrong?"
According to Volvo, the onboard sensors can accurately detect a passenger's height, weight, body shape, and seating position. Based on real-time data, the belts optimize protection -- increasing belt load for larger passengers or lowering it for smaller passengers. While the technology for customizing protection isn't new -- Volvo's current belts already use three load-limiting profiles- the new belts increase that number to 11. The belts should also get safer over time, too, as they are equipped to receive over-the-air updates. sinij adds: "Downloading patches for your seat belts from China. What could possibly go wrong?"
IoT (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Its a new European Commission Mandate (Score:5, Informative)
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My car already yells at me when a passenger doesn't have their seat belt on ...
But does it text your parents when parental controls are activated?
... no Bluetooth required.
That's how they know wired is the inferior solution. They've tried it before.
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Yes it's done via a sensor in the seat and in the belt buckle receptacle. It will also detect cargo over a certain weight. You can buy a seat belt "extension" to plug into the receptacle to defeat it.
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Bluetooth is simply the easiest way to connect the seatbelt buckle to the car. Embedding a wire in the belts troublesome.
How does the seatbelt bluetooth get powered without a wire?
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Bluetooth is simply the easiest way to connect the seatbelt buckle to the car. Embedding a wire in the belts troublesome.
How does the seatbelt bluetooth get powered without a wire?
A battery. The release button is a solar panel.
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Re:Its a new European Commission Mandate (Score:5, Insightful)
It's based on a new European Commission Mandate out of Brussels. Seat belt verification for driver and all passengers before a vehicle can be driven. Bluetooth is simply the easiest way to connect the seatbelt buckle to the car. Embedding a wire in the belts troublesome.
This is the dumbest thing I've read here all week. No it's got nothing to do with the European mandate on seatbelts. That is something that cars already did. The EU policy on cars implements mandates that have been industry standard for a decade+ prior. My cheap shit Renault from 2006 met all the requirements of the mandate already and no, not a single car in the world uses Bluetooth for this.
Now maybe you were making a joke, in which case give us a smiley on your post so we have a chance at telling attempted humour from the usual moronic posts on here, but in 2025's Slashdot you don't get benefit of the doubt.
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Now maybe you were making a joke, in which case give us a smiley on your post so we have a chance at telling attempted humour from the usual moronic posts on here, but in 2025's Slashdot you don't get benefit of the doubt.
I usually use a :-), but I thought this one was so ridiculous it was not necessary. Apologies.
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Oh fuck off with making everything internet connected, seriously getting fucking tired of this trend of making everything poorly intenret connected (often vulnerability laced).
It's based on a new European Commission Mandate out of Brussels. Seat belt verification for driver and all passengers before a vehicle can be driven. Bluetooth is simply the easiest way to connect the seatbelt buckle to the car. Embedding a wire in the belts troublesome.
Bluetooth, yeah, that might make sense, but not really. Avoiding batteries seems to be a really good idea, and if power comes through wires, then data can also go through wires. But why does there need to be a connection to the internet? So that we can create new security vulnerabilities with no benefits in return?
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But if it's not connected to the internet, how will they update the seatbelt's AI functionality?!
Re: IoT (Score:3, Insightful)
Just because you are used to gang rape doesn't mean you should recommend it to normal people.
Ftfy.
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Re:IoT (not mentioned in the article) (Score:2)
The Ad Writes Itself (Score:5, Funny)
Volvo's current belts already use three load-limiting profiles- the new belts increase that number to 11
Looking forward to the commercial starring Spinal Tap.
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Looking forward to the commercial starring Spinal Tap.
I would have been quite disappointed if nobody made that reference by now.
I do hope with the increasing levels of adjustments for seat belts we can be rid of the stupid laws requiring a child booster seat in vehicles. The evidence that these seats reduced chances of injury or death were minimal to nonexistent. With the laws in place we had people spending money they should not have had to with no real evidence it saved lives. There was a TED Talk on this, or something quite similar, I saw years ago. Som
Dont forget your subscription (Score:5, Informative)
If you want to be able to adjust it so it's doesn't slice in to your neck or boobs, there's an app for that, only $12.99/month per seat.
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But when the car is 15 years old, and the cell service used for OTA app control and feature subscription validation no longer works, then what?
Or, 10 years after the model is discontinued, when the seat belt comms unit is no longer available, the car won't let you use it until the seat belt is repaired.
I won't buy a car with side mirrors that fold flat when parked. When that feature becomes unrepairable, then what?
Sounds mostly like a good idea ... (Score:1)
... until the presumably-push OTA updates.
I'm okay with OTA updates for non-safety items like a stand-alone enterainment system, but if it touches the drive train or any safety-critical systems, "nope."
I'd be fine with updates coming in the form of a product recall where you had to manually request the OTA update. By manually I mean toggle a physical switch that was actually part of the OTA circuit, not just a "soft switch."
Here's hoping the updates are signed. At least that would be something.
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I can't imagine why you would need a motherf**cking seatbelt to receive "updates" at all, signed or not, opt-in or not. The seatbelt adjusts its settings based on a very modest amount of data (passenger weight, and apparently also road conditions-- although I'm not sure how the latter would be useful in adjusting a "seatbelt setting"). How complicated can that be? Are they expecting some major advances in seatbelt-setting algorithms to emerge in the next decade?
Also, since the sensors are right there in
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I can't imagine why you would need a motherf**cking seatbelt to receive "updates" at all,
Obviously, so they can patch blackjack and hookers. Why else?
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what happens in 20 years when the "Internet-connected" part of the seatbelt becomes hopelessly outdated and unusable?
You buy a new car because it won't drive without the verification that the seatbelts are worn.
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The seatbelt adjusts its settings based on a very modest amount of data (passenger weight, and apparently also road conditions-- although I'm not sure how the latter would be useful in adjusting a "seatbelt setting"). How complicated can that be? Are they expecting some major advances in seatbelt-setting algorithms to emerge in the next decade?
FTA:
"The capabilities of the new multi-adaptive safety belt are designed to continuously improve via over-the-air software updates. As Volvo Cars gathers more data and insights, the car can improve its understanding of the occupants, new scenarios and response strategies.".
When I read that I had a reaction similar to yours. But TFA goes on to say:
"Unlike traditional systems, the new multi-adaptive safety belt can utilise data from different sensors, including exterior, interior and crash sensors. In less
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I hear you, but I'm scratching my head here, trying to figure out whether there is any way this makes sense. The basic function of a seatbelt is that it's a strap to restrain your forward moment during quick decelerations, so that your head doesn't hit the windshield. What difference does it make what direction the crash is in? What difference does it make what your weight is, or what the road conditions are? Maybe there's a good answer to these questions, maybe not.
It also seems like you're replacing on
bigoted comment from the peanut gallery (Score:1)
sinij adds: "Downloading patches for your seat belts from China. What could possibly go wrong?"
Of course he does, because it's not /. without morons saying bigoted things.
Re:bigoted comment from the peanut gallery (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
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Too cowardly to put the army in Ukraine,
What a strange way to frame a justifiable apprehension and desire to avoid a nuclear war.
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What does Volvo have to do with China?
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China isn't your foe, you just want them to be because there always has to be a Big Bad to justify whatever bullshit you want to do.
Raise the price! (Score:1)
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Just another "do-dad" to increase the price of the vehicle, not to mention added REPAIR COSTS!
Volvo's is a mid range brand and the 60 series is their second from the top premium line. This isn't affecting anyone's pocket save for maybe an idiot who wants to buy a car out of their price range just to look cool - but then they wouldn't drive a Volvo either, so your complaint is completely irrelevant.
But it's funny you chose this story to complain about. Volvo invented the three-point seatbelt in the first place, and people complained back then that it's just another "do-dad" that increased the price o
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Hacked belts (Score:3)
Re: Hacked belts (Score:2)
...or to strangle you to death if someone puts a bounty on your head and hackers take up the job.
Kind of in the Law Abiding citizen:
"Alright, we're burnin' up millions in ordnance and we're gettin' nowhere with this guy. So we call Clyde, and we ask him to solve our problem. Clyde develops a Kevlar thread with a high-tech ratchet made of carbon fiber. Put it in a necktie. Two days later, Mrs. Bad Guy comes home, finds Mr. Bad Guy dead on the bathroom tile, choked to death."
Oh, no, not again (Score:2)
I remember those horrible "Count Dracula seatbelts" from the last century that would try to strangle you when you got into the car. No thanks.
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So what about... (Score:3)
The current standard for "bicycle helmets" only checks a helmet in a stationary crash: Basically they put the "helmet" on a dummy and let it fall sideways to the ground. Not a very realistic scenario for an actual crash. Considering that these helmets are used by "electric bicycles" that regularly exceed the legal limit of 32 km/h, this is a pathetic level of protection.
There is no requirement for seatbelts in school busses. That is a pathetic level of protection.
There is no legal requirement for so-called "self-driving" cars or trucks to effectively look for motorcycles and leave enough space for safety.
There are very few regulations that can force a maker of these fancy "AI enhanced" or IoT connected safety systems dependable, reliable or even safe. You as the consumer will have to sign your rights away to even buy a vehicle with this e-garbage. That is a pathetic level of protection.
Manufacturers need to face some sort of reality check: We do not need this overhyped and undependable e-crap: We need solid engineering solutions.
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There is no requirement for seatbelts in school busses. That is a pathetic level of protection.
I don't know if you have ever been in one, but expecting seat belts on a school bus to be used in extremely unrealistic. First, you would have to add 1-2 extra adults to enforce compliance. Second, you have to deal with all ages and sizes, which requires child seats and boosters.
School bus seats already designed to mitigate front end collision, more should be done with padding and seat design to make it better. Seat belts is not the way to go.
"Does this IOT make my butt look big?" (Score:2)
this won't end well, pun half-intended
Zero Trust in car makers (Score:2)
They can't be trusted to make an electronic gas pedal without fucking it up (stuck fully opened), and next you want me to trust them with the seat belt?
Nope.
Not gonna happen.
Re: Zero Trust in car makers (Score:2)
Great tech! (Score:2)
Just make sure to crash in an area with good reception!
Bluetooth again (Score:2)
Oh yeah! (Score:2)