Volvo has invested in a high-tech truck-theft detection system awaiting a patent in Sweden. The truck manufacturer has bought a stake in the company that invented the system, which is based on sensors and radio beacons in sidelights. When someone interferes with a trailer, the sensors are triggered and can send signals to the cab, a central server and even a security company.
Volvo established its interest in the
radio technology by buying a stake in another Swedish firm, Datachassi, which developed the system. Per Wessen, investment manager at Volvo Technology Transfer, says: "We foresee huge potential for this invention."
Theft from trucks has proven to be a huge problem in the UK and all over the world. In the European Union alone, goods stolen from trucks each year are valued at £6.1bn, with the number of thefts rising all the time. Volvo says the system can easily be retrofitted and may also have safety benefits because it can warn when pedestrians or other road-users come too close to trucks.
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