Skoda Auto has introduced a new feature that will notify the drivers about damaged or slippery road conditions via the vehicle’s infotainment system, therefore improving passenger safety. Dubbed as ‘Local Hazard Information Service’, this system is based on swarm data intelligence that collects anonymous data from different vehicles via connected car tech and evaluates the road conditions.
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Skoda's Local Hazard Information Service – How does it work?
As mentioned above, this service is based on swarm data intelligence. The system collects necessary information from the car itself. To be specific, various car sensors like accelerometers or ABS sensors continuously capture road surface data and detect even a minor change in traction, and estimate the coefficient of friction between the tires & road surface, based on wheel slip. Then, it sends the data anonymously via a Car-to-Cloud application. Thus, the aggregated information from all vehicles is then combined with metadata, which Skoda sends to the service provider. From there on, the data will be provided to other users when they reach or already find themselves in an area with bad road surfaces.
It also saves the collected data on the navigation system to apprise you of potential safety hazards in the vehicle’s immediate surroundings. Also, once the bad roads are fixed, that information will be sent to Skoda’s database and updated on the navigation system.
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Commenting on the technology, Sebastian Lasek, Head of Product Line Connectivity at ŠKODA AUTO, stated-
The system uses the car’s sensors to detect challenging road conditions in advance. To this end, the ‘Local Hazard Information Service’ increases active safety for drivers and passengers. We are continuously developing our connectivity services to offer our customers extra safety features and even more convenience.
Skoda claims that this technology will not only help its users but also enable relevant authorities to get information & valuable insights into the quality of the roads. They can find out where the potholes are, which areas are slippery when wet, or tend to freeze quickly. The data can also provide information as to which roads have already been gritted or cleared.
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The feature can be used in 30 countries in vehicles that come with either the Amundsen or the Columbus infotainment system. The Indian-spec Skoda Superb comes equipped with the ‘Amundsen’ infotainment system, however, the Czech maker hasn't made any official announcement about introducing this new service in our market.
