Volvo Thinks Magnetic Roads Will Guide Tomorrow’s Autonomous Cars

We live in a world where satellites and microprocessors can tell us how to get anywhere we want to go, but Volvo believes the future of transportation lies with something much simpler: magnets.

Yes, magnets. Volvo argues that magnets, unlike electronic transmission, are unfazed by poor weather conditions or obstacles in the road, so they can reliably guide vehicles along the road. It recently completed a research project to test the theory, using a road embedded with magnets and a vehicle outfitted with specialized sensors to determine how accurately and reliably the car could discern its position.

By Alexander George

Full Story: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2014/03/volvo-magnets-autonomous/