The portal makes a broad variety of resources and tools available for free, allowing external developers to create new innovative services and in-car apps.
With the help of a wider development of software and services for its products, Volvo Cars aims to greatly increase the possibilities for its customers to make their Volvo cars more personal.
The portal’s resources are not only useful for developers, but also for researchers, smart-home tinkerers and computer-savvy artists.
The resources available on the Innovation Portal include a so-called emulator that recreates the Android Automotive Operating System and Google apps used in new Volvos, providing developers with an accurate in-car experience of the system on their computer.
This emulator is a helpful tool in supporting app developers to design, develop, test and publish apps directly on Google Play in the car.
The platform will also feature the Extended Vehicle API*, marking the first time Volvo Cars offers an API to the public.
With customers’ consent, the API allows developers and other third parties to access car dashboard data, such as charge/fuel level and distance travelled, and use it to build and provide new services. Additional data and data sources will be made available over time.
Other resources include a LiDAR dataset and a downloadable production 3D car model of the fully electric Volvo XC40 Recharge.
The LiDAR dataset is released together with Luminar, the global leader in automotive LiDAR hardware and software technology, and Duke University. It has been created using Luminar’s high-performance LiDAR sensors, which detect objects around the car up to 250 metres away by scanning the environment with pulses of laser lights.
This dataset can help researchers to improve algorithms related to long-range LiDAR detection, a crucial element to create autonomous cars that are safe at high speeds and in complex traffic environments.
“Our cars are becoming increasingly smarter and more connected, and with that comes a growing demand for apps and services among our customers,” said Volvo Cars chief technology officer Henrik Green.
“By making these resources publicly available, we support developers inside and outside our company, and collaborate with the best of the best in their fields.”
Go to the Volvo Cars Innovation Portal.
