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Auto Talk => General Automotive => Topic started by: mzziaz on May 07, 2010, 01:04:49 AM

Title: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: mzziaz on May 07, 2010, 01:04:49 AM
The big day. 150 journalists invited. Volvo is about to demonstrate its new revolutionary safety system that will brake the car automatically to avoid crash.

The result:
(http://gfx.dagbladet.no/video/splash/ani_34494_1.jpg)

Video of the crash found here.
http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/05/06/tema/bil/bilindustrien/bil_og_trafikk/sikkerhet/11614870/
It must be fun to be the PR guy at Volvo on a day like that  :lol:
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volov demoinstrates new safety system.
Post by: Cookie Monster on May 07, 2010, 05:59:45 AM
LOL!
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volov demoinstrates new safety system.
Post by: ifcar on May 07, 2010, 06:06:30 AM
Mercedes did the same thing when they tried to demonstrate similar technology on the S-Class several years ago.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: 565 on May 07, 2010, 07:59:53 AM
Quote from: ifcar on May 07, 2010, 06:06:30 AM
Mercedes did the same thing when they tried to demonstrate similar technology on the S-Class several years ago.

Except Mercedes tried to fake it because they knew their system wasn't working.  Then managed to fail on the fraud.  That's like double Fail.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: ifcar on May 07, 2010, 08:04:47 AM
Quote from: 565 on May 07, 2010, 07:59:53 AM
Except Mercedes tried to fake it because they knew their system wasn't working.  Then managed to fail on the fraud.  That's like double Fail.

I must have missed or forgotten that part of the story.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: 565 on May 07, 2010, 08:07:16 AM
Quote from: ifcar on May 07, 2010, 08:04:47 AM
I must have missed or forgotten that part of the story.

It's a hilarious read.

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=10734&vf=23
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Submariner on May 07, 2010, 09:24:13 AM
You would think they would test this beforehand...
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Laconian on May 07, 2010, 09:45:21 AM
Quote from: mzziaz on May 07, 2010, 01:04:49 AM
The big day. 150 journalists invited. Volvo is about to demonstrate its new revolutionary safety system that will brake the car automatically to avoid crash.

The result:
(http://gfx.dagbladet.no/video/splash/ani_34494_1.jpg)

Video of the crash found here.
http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/05/06/tema/bil/bilindustrien/bil_og_trafikk/sikkerhet/11614870/
It must be fun to be the PR guy at Volvo on a day like that  :lol:
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/05/06/tema/bil/bilindustrien/bil_og_trafikk/sikkerhet/11614870/&sl=no&tl=en
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: cawimmer430 on May 07, 2010, 09:52:44 AM
Quote from: 565 on May 07, 2010, 07:59:53 AM
Except Mercedes tried to fake it because they knew their system wasn't working.  Then managed to fail on the fraud.  That's like double Fail.

AFAIK the system was turned off during the test and the journalist driving the car didn't know about it. The radar waves supposedly also didn't reflect back properly given that the car was tested in an all-metal factory building.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Speed_Racer on May 07, 2010, 10:12:52 AM
This also happened to Volvo when they tested CitySafety for some journalists, but it only ran into an inflatable car.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: ifcar on May 07, 2010, 10:21:34 AM
Quote from: cawimmer430 on May 07, 2010, 09:52:44 AM
AFAIK the system was turned off during the test and the journalist driving the car didn't know about it. The radar waves supposedly also didn't reflect back properly given that the car was tested in an all-metal factory building.

According to the article, the system was turned off and the journalist driver did know about it and was collaborating with MB to make everyone think the system was working.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: mzziaz on May 07, 2010, 10:40:29 AM
Quote from: Laconian on May 07, 2010, 09:45:21 AM
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/05/06/tema/bil/bilindustrien/bil_og_trafikk/sikkerhet/11614870/&sl=no&tl=en

It does Norwegian too!
Google translation is fucking awesome. Babelfish sucks compared to it. 
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Raza on May 07, 2010, 12:47:17 PM
Lesson to be learned:  When driving a car, drive the fucking car. 
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Tave on May 07, 2010, 12:51:56 PM
From the sounds of the article, this was but one minor experiment in a much larger safety exhibition staged at the Volvo test grounds. The engineers didn't expect it to be the main event, nor work properly. I.e. no one knew what was going to happen; they just wanted to throw some spaghetti at the wall to see if it would stick.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: cawimmer430 on May 07, 2010, 01:04:04 PM
Quote from: ifcar on May 07, 2010, 10:21:34 AM
According to the article, the system was turned off and the journalist driver did know about it and was collaborating with MB to make everyone think the system was working.

The weird thing about that event is that I can't seem to find a defining answer anywhere. Some say the driver didn't brake on time, some say the radar waves got scattered, some say the system failed, some say...

I really have no clue what really happened there. It didn't harm the sales of the S-Class though. And that embarrassing event seems all but forgotten now.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Cookie Monster on May 07, 2010, 01:12:09 PM
Quote from: cawimmer430 on May 07, 2010, 01:04:04 PM
The weird thing about that event is that I can't seem to find a defining answer anywhere. Some say the driver didn't brake on time, some say the radar waves got scattered, some say the system failed, some say...

I really have no clue what really happened there. It didn't harm the sales of the S-Class though. And that embarrassing event seems all but forgotten now.
No, the defining answer is in the article but you don't want to read it.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Onslaught on May 07, 2010, 01:17:00 PM
Quote from: Raza  link=topic=21969.msg1322133#msg1322133 date=1273258037
Lesson to be learned:  When driving a car, drive the fucking car. 
Thank you. I don't want that shit in my car.

That and I don't want cars to have it. Will cut down on my work!
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: mzziaz on May 07, 2010, 01:40:24 PM
Quote from: Onslaught on May 07, 2010, 01:17:00 PM
Thank you. I don't want that shit in my car.

That and I don't want cars to have it. Will cut down on my work!

It doesn't seem to be much to worry about yet. Any news on your (possible) job?
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: MX793 on May 07, 2010, 01:54:40 PM
"Brake", "break"....  Obviously just a phonetic misunderstanding.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: cawimmer430 on May 07, 2010, 01:59:29 PM
Quote from: thecarnut on May 07, 2010, 01:12:09 PM
No, the defining answer is in the article but you don't want to read it.

:rolleyes:
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: CJ on May 07, 2010, 02:00:41 PM
I believe the system wasn't activated at the time.  I think that's what I read on Jalopnik or the Volvo fan page on FB.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: MX793 on May 07, 2010, 02:10:21 PM
Quote from: thecarnut on May 07, 2010, 01:12:09 PM
No, the defining answer is in the article but you don't want to read it.

Did YOU read the article?  Because based on what's there, the system worked when tested outdoors, but when inside the confines of the metal building that they were holding the demo in the radar would not work (radar beam was getting screwed up by the surrounding metal).  Realizing this, Mercedes opted to run the demo anyway, but got the press test driver to play along and fake it.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Onslaught on May 07, 2010, 02:16:28 PM
Quote from: CJ on May 07, 2010, 02:00:41 PM
I believe the system wasn't activated at the time.  I think that's what I read on Jalopnik or the Volvo fan page on FB.
Well that makes them just as dumb. Or even more so.
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Tave on May 07, 2010, 02:19:49 PM
Quote from: MX793 on May 07, 2010, 02:10:21 PM
Did YOU read the article?  Because based on what's there, the system worked when tested outdoors, but when inside the confines of the metal building that they were holding the demo in the radar would not work (radar beam was getting screwed up by the surrounding metal).  Realizing this, Mercedes opted to run the demo anyway, but got the press test driver to play along and fake it.

That's exactly what 565 said:

Quote from: 565 on May 07, 2010, 07:59:53 AM
Except Mercedes tried to fake it because they knew their system wasn't working.  Then managed to fail on the fraud.  That's like double Fail.

Then Wimmer responded that the journalist was an innocent party in the whole debacle:

Quote from: cawimmer430 on May 07, 2010, 09:52:44 AM
AFAIK the system was turned off during the test and the journalist driving the car didn't know about it.

Then Ifcar responded:

Quote from: ifcar on May 07, 2010, 10:21:34 AM
According to the article, the system was turned off and the journalist driver did know about it and was collaborating with MB to make everyone think the system was working.


Then Wimmer said that:

Quote from: cawimmer430 on May 07, 2010, 01:04:04 PM
The weird thing about that event is that I can't seem to find a defining answer anywhere. Some say the driver didn't brake on time, some say the radar waves got scattered, some say the system failed, some say...

Obviously, as you pointed out, the article supplies all that information. Mercedes couldn't get the system to work inside their testing facility, so they tried to rig it and it failed. There is no mystery here. Rags read the article and realized that, and pointed it out to Wimmer.


Did YOU read the conversation?
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: MX793 on May 07, 2010, 02:24:55 PM
Quote from: Tave on May 07, 2010, 02:19:49 PM

Did YOU read the conversation?


I think the answer is obviously "no" :rolleyes:


:tounge:
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Tave on May 07, 2010, 02:37:23 PM
:lol:
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: AutobahnSHO on May 07, 2010, 03:36:59 PM
"But instead of slowing down, continued to smell the car into the back of your truck with a bang. "

LOL
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: ifcar on May 07, 2010, 03:48:57 PM
Quote from: AutobahnSHO on May 07, 2010, 03:36:59 PM
"But instead of slowing down, continued to smell the car into the back of your truck with a bang. "

LOL

Yeah, those translation tools have always provided hours of entertainment -- especially when they were still in their early stages. Feeding something in English into another language and then back to English always produced great results.

The Washington Post had a memorable contest some years ago to find some of the best mistranslations done that way (scroll down a ways to get to it): http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A39930-2004Apr24&notFound=true

Some highlights:
"Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him." > German > "Alas, bad Yorick, I could do him."
"At Ford, quality is Job One." > German > "At Fords quality is job of one."
"Google translates text with no errors." > Portuguese > "Google translates the text with nenhuns errors."
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: sportyaccordy on May 08, 2010, 06:22:51 AM
Were they demonstrating a new front airbag?
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: VTEC_Inside on May 08, 2010, 10:36:58 AM
Lol... I was thinking maybe that Volvo didn't have any power at all since I would have expected the airbags to pop, but then again the wipers were going so....
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: S204STi on May 09, 2010, 07:55:43 PM
Quote from: Laconian on May 07, 2010, 09:45:21 AM
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/05/06/tema/bil/bilindustrien/bil_og_trafikk/sikkerhet/11614870/&sl=no&tl=en

"The car was driven out of the laboratory tunnel at 35 km / h to a waiting truck.  But instead of slowing down, continued to smell the car into the back of your truck with a bang. Result: the entire front of the car pressed.
"

:wtf:
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: Rupert on May 09, 2010, 09:56:15 PM
What, you don't smell your cars into going faster?
Title: Re: Utter failiure: Volvo demonstrates new safety system.
Post by: BimmerM3 on May 09, 2010, 11:23:22 PM
Quote from: Raza  on May 07, 2010, 12:47:17 PM
Lesson to be learned:  When driving a car, drive the fucking car. 

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