Ford's now inching closer to a self-driving car with new technology that's currently being tested in their German research facility. Although there are a number of cars that can now alert drivers of obstacles in their path or even automatically apply the brakes, this new system will effectively take control of the wheel to avoid a collision. This builds upon Ford's existing safety features, including its Lane Keeping Alert feature. This vibrates the wheel if the driver starts to drift out of the lane. The brand's Active City Stop feature can also apply brakes if an object is detected, provided the object is travelling only 19 mph faster than the car. However, this new technology will improve upon these features to provide safety services at higher speeds.
Obstacle Avoidance System
Ford's new Obstacle Avoidance technology takes existing pedestrian detection and automatic braking systems a step further. If the car detects the risk of a collision through either a pedestrian or another vehicle, it can take control of the steering wheel to prevent impact. Using ultrasonic sensors, a camera, and three radar tools, the car consistently scans the road ahead as you drive along. The radar can detect objects at a distance of up to 650 feet. If any slow moving objects, pedestrians, or stationary objects are detected, the system first sends an alert to the driver to slow down or stop. If the driver then fails to act in time, the system automatically takes over to steer the car away from the object in its path and apply the brakes.
Fully Assisted Parking Aid
Safety features like obstacle avoidance aren't the only electronic systems being tested by Ford at the moment. Do you work in the city and struggle to slide your car into tight spaces? Another new technology being tested is the Fully Assisted Parking Aid, which allows the driver to park the car with the push of a button. If you look at the latest Ford models on Carsales.com.au, you may already see examples of a parallel parking assist feature. However, this existing feature requires the driver to sit behind the wheel with one foot on the brake. The upgraded parking aid allows the driver to get out of the car and let the car do all the work, taking all of the guesswork out of parallel parking.
At the moment, both of these new technologies are in the development stages. They are being tested on a Ford Focus and are expected to become available in the full range of Ford models over the next five years. However, at the moment there is no release date. These new safety features are part of a larger industry initiative to reduce collisions using electronic car technology. Other car manufacturers involved in these tests include Fiat, Volvo, Volkswagen, and BMW. Volvo has also introduced a new pedestrian and cyclist alert system to automatically apply the brakes. As these systems progress, it drives us closer to a future of autonomous cars and hopefully, fewer collisions due to driver error.