The Navigator

In recent weeks, Volvo started teasing out some of the details of its all-electric replacement for the XC90 SUV, dubbed the EX90. As expected from the Swedish brand, safety is front and center. While we’ve known for more than a year that the vehicle now branded as EX90 would feature a more robust exterior sensor suite, including Luminar-developed lidar, what really caught my attention is the driver-understanding system.

In 2022, driver-monitoring systems (DMS) aren't particularly unique anymore. General Motors included an infrared camera to ensure the driver was watching the road when it debuted “hands-free” Super Cruise in 2017. Similar DMS now are found on vehicles from many OEMs, including Ford, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Nissan and Toyota, with more to come in 2023 and beyond. The DMS that is in the market today looks only at the driver's eye gaze and head position to detect visual distractions such as looking at a phone, infotainment screen or passenger.