Autoliv developed a vacuum braking system that reduces the stopping distance up to 40%. Who needs carbon-ceramic brakes?

According to Autoliv, the system was developed for “significantly reducing stopping distance for autonomous emergency braking”. Basically, thanks to these guys, you won’t have to worry about your autonomous car hitting miscellaneous things in the future, including pedestrians.

Yes, they are very Swedish and very concerned with safety. Hear that, Volvo?

The system works by using a vacuum induced plate below the vehicle, which deploys while heavy braking on the asphalt, sucking down into the track and reducing braking distances in speeds up to 70 Km/h (43 Mph). As it is just a prototype, it works only on flat surfaces without damaging the road.

The brake is named after the 17th century Italian physicist Evangelista Torricelli, accountable for the invention of the barometer, Torricelli’s law and the study of projectiles.

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