New Pre-Collision Detection Technology from Ford may help Drivers Avoid some Frontal Crashes

New technology coming available from Ford Motors features revolutionary Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, designed to decrease the severity, and in some cases even eliminate, front end collisions which involve other vehicles and pedestrians. Pedestrian detection is taken very seriously in Europe, where cars are required to be designed with pedestrian collision safety in mind. Ford is scheduled to debut the new collision avoidance technology on the 2015 model year Ford Mondeo in Europe later this year.

Ford’s Pre-Collision Assist and Pedestrian Detection uses both camera and radar technology to constantly scan the road ahead, and if a collision hazard with a pedestrian or vehicle is detected the driver is provided with a warning. If the driver doesn’t respond rapidly enough to the warning alert the system automatically applies braking force to help lessen the severity of the potential crash. The new technology may also help drivers avoid collisions with other vehicles at any speed, whereas Pedestrian Detection can help drivers avoid hitting pedestrians at lower speeds.

Ford group vice president, Raj Nair, says "This technology adds to an already impressive list of Ford’s driver assist technologies that Ford customers already benefit from today." While the new collision avoidance systems may be particularly helpful in unexpected situations, it is not a replacement for the driver and the system does have its limitations, including in certain bad weather conditions, low, nighttime and harsh lighting conditions and vehicles that are traveling in different directions.

During the day and in clear weather conditions the collision avoidance system may detect people in or next to the roadway or pedestrians crossing in front of the vehicle. If the system detects a pedestrian in front of the vehicle, with an imminent collision, the driver receives both audible and visual warning cues. If the driver does not respond the system increases braking responsiveness by decreasing the gap between the wheel discs and brake pads. If the driver still doesn’t respond the brakes are automatically applied, reducing the vehicle’s speed.

The collision avoidance system processes information collected from a camera mounted on the windshield while radar, located by the front bumper, checks the signal against a computer database of objects to assist in distinguishing people from common roadside objects, such as street signs, trees and mailboxes.

Ford’s engineers tested the collision avoidance system in closed track test settings using manikins to simulate pedestrians along the road. The engineers spent months improving the technology on roadways around the world to confirm the system’s reliability.

Scott Lindstrom, Ford’s Driver Assist Technologies Manager, stated the real world testing was a critical step in the system development as pedestrians in urban areas present an extensive range of potentially dangerous situations. Lindstrom said Ford covered over 300,000 miles that took into account a wide range of circumstances.

Other driver assist technologies available from Ford include collision warning with brake support, a Blind Spot Information System, also known as BLIS, with cross traffic alert, a lane keeping system, active park assist and adaptive cruise control to avoid collisions.

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