Autonomous Tech – Ford is turning traffic into chill time!
Ford’s autonomous tech aims to take some of the pain out of being stuck in traffic. Reducing driver stress and accidents, as well as improving traffic flow!
While stuck in heavy in traffic, Ford’s autonomous tech features such as, Traffic Jam Assist increases driving comfort by assist with the steering, braking and accelerating of the vehicle. The car uses a camera and radar to monitor all other vehicles around it, as well as the road markings. So you can sit back and relax, while the car does the driving.
Traffic Jam Assist is easily activated by pushing a button any time the driver encounters a traffic jam. The system identifies the position of vehicles in front using a grille-mounted radar; and the location of lane markings using a front-facing camera behind the windscreen.
The driver can take over from the autonomous tech at any time by using the pedals, the steering wheel, or turn signal. The system regularly monitors the driver’s interaction with the steering wheel. If the system detects a lack of steering interaction, it will issue acoustic and visual warnings. Depending upon the vehicle speed and location, the frequency of warnings will vary. However, the driver is still required to monitor the driving environment and be prepared to take control of the vehicle at any time.
“For many drivers, fighting heavy traffic on the way to work leaves them stressed, angry and exhausted, even before the work day begins. Traffic Jam Assist helps the driver maintain the distance to the vehicle ahead and helps to keep the vehicle centred in the lane. The system aims to reduce driver stress in dense traffic scenarios,”
said Reid Steiger, technical expert, Automated Driving, Ford of Europe.
Ford recently commissioned a survey of 5500 commuters in major European cities and found that for most of them, the commute to work was far more stressful than the job itself! Their aim with this autonomous tech is to not only reduce that stress, but actually turn it into time where you can relax.
Ford is also developing autonomous tech that will assist drivers to stay in the centre of their lane. As well as being able to continue in cruise control even after you’ve come to a stop and even being able to let the car park itself via remote control!
By simpling pushing a button the Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, uses the radar and camera information to detect the distance of vehicles around it. It then reduces speed for slower vehicles ahead and will resume speed when the traffic clears. So even after coming to a complete halt the vehicle’s autonomous tech will resume the speed you set, as long as there are no vehicles in front of you.
“Whether you live in an area that constantly has traffic jams or just commute occasionally to areas where dense traffic jams are probable, Traffic Jam Assist aims to make those situations less stressful for the driver. This enables drivers to arrive at their destinations feeling more refreshed,”
Steiger added.
Remote Park Assist adds to the Active Park Assist currently available on Ford Vehicles. The next step in Ford’s autonomous tech development, is Fully Assisted Parking Aid. Featuring technology that controls steering, gear changes, and forward and reverse motion to facilitate parking at the push of a button!