Volvo’s name remains virtually interchangeable with automotive safety, and once again, the company attempts to push the boundaries of protection for road users. Its latest innovation? An artificial intelligence-powered seatbelt that promises to adapt to every driver and passenger. It can evolve through software updates (OTA) long after the car is sold.
The new “multi-adaptive safety belt”, as it is called, will debut next year in Volvo’s new electric crossover SUV EX60. Behind the rather complex name lies a system that the Swedish carmaker claims is designed to save millions of lives. Could this be the modern remake of the famous three-pointed seat belt pioneered by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959?
Scanning bodies
The principle is simple, even if the technology behind it is not. Traditional seatbelts, even modern ones, provide the same basic restraint for all passengers, regardless of size or shape, and despite the use of pretensioning technology. But Volvo’s AI-powered belt uses sensors in the cabin to build a detailed picture of each occupant’s body. It factors in height, weight, body shape, seating position, and even external conditions outside the vehicle to determine the optimal level of restraint.
All of this happens in a fraction of a second. In the event of a crash, the belt can instantly adjust its tension, providing more restraint for larger occupants to reduce the risk of head injuries, or less tension for smaller passengers to lower the risk of rib fractures.
Tailored response
While current Volvo belts already use three predefined load-limiting profiles, the new system expands that number to 11, enabling a far more tailored response. Crucially, the technology is designed to improve over time. Thanks to over-the-air (OTA) software updates, a feature more commonly associated with entertainment systems, Volvo says it will be able to refine the belt’s behavior using data gathered from real-world driving and crashes.
The adaptive belt isn’t developed exclusively by Volvo, but jointly with German supplier ZF Lifetec. Initially, it will be offered only in the front seats of the EX60. Currently, there is no space to accommodate the larger belt system in the rear seats; however, future models may address this issue. As the patent is shared, it will likely also appear at other car brands.
The company’s ultimate goal remains unchanged: to eliminate traffic fatalities altogether, an ambition that has proved elusive so far. Volvo had previously aimed for zero road deaths in its vehicles by 2020, a target that was not met.
Free from glitches?
Still, the firm is undeterred. “This is just the beginning,” says Volvo safety specialist Fredrik Heurlin, adding that AI will soon allow even more precise adaptations, including for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women.
Yet questions remain. Will having multiple AI-driven safety systems, such as belts, airbags, and sensors, working in unison, prove reliable in real-world crashes? Will the system be free from bugs and glitches? As cars become increasingly software-defined, Nils Bohlin would have insisted that Volvo uphold its legacy of safety through real-world performance on public roads.
