“The rescue services need to know that the vehicle is safe to approach… with this app, we have a 3D view of each truck and this augmented reality view.”

With many governments making commitments toward zero-emission targets, more and more of the trucks on our roads are becoming electric. Whilst good news for the environment, it can present challenges for emergency responders, who may not be familiar with how these types of trucks are built. In the event of an accident, emergency services need to be able to access vehicles safely, and potentially, rescue people trapped inside. This means knowing things like where the battery is, where high-voltage cables are or which parts of the truck can be safely cut through.

Volvo Group is the market leader in the manufacture of electric trucks in Europe, and as has been the case for decades, they’re improving safety through clever innovation. They’ve developed an app for use at the scene of an emergency which guides those on the scene around the important components of the truck using 3D images as well as augmented reality. This means that first responders simply need to type the licence plate of the truck into the app and look at it through their device, and they can see information about the important components and potential hazards overlaid on the image.

Our producer Lasse Edfast travelled to Volvo Group’s HQ in Gothenburg, Sweden to meet Anna Wrige Berling, Traffic & Product Safety Director, and Vincent Barnoux, AR Expert & Business Solution Engineer at Volvo. They demonstrate the app for us on one of their trucks and talk about the benefits of using this kind of technology to safely guide users around electric vehicles. 

Find out more about Volvo here.

Find out more about Vuforia here.

Your host is Paul Haimes from industrial software company PTC.

Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter for updates.

This is an 18Sixty production for PTC. Executive producer is Jacqui Cook. Sound design and editing by Clarissa Maycock. Location recording by Lasse Edfast. Music by Rowan Bishop.