A new 'pre-collision assist' system has been unveiled by Ford, which it says could reduce the severity of and, in some cases, even eliminate fatal collisions on our roads.
The system takes advantage of data from radar and cameras to actively detect pedestrians and automatically apply the brakes.
A windshield-mounted camera and radar located near the bumper scan the road in front and provide warnings to the driver if a collision risk is detected.
If the driver fails to respond in time, the system can automatically apply the brakes and stop the car if necessary.
Ford engineers tested the system on closed test tracks using rigs fitted with manikins to replicate pedestrians.
They then spent months refining the technology on roads around the world to test system reliability.
"This real world testing was an important part of the development, because pedestrians in an urban setting can present a wide range of potential situations," said Scott Lindstrom, Ford manager, Driver Assist Technologies. "We covered more than 300,000 miles on three continents that included a wide range of settings and situations."
The system will make its debut in the2015 Ford Mondeo later this year before being rolled out to other models.
Author
Laura Hopperton
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk