Ford will expand its existing portfolio of safety-related driver-assists with a selection of new technology in various vehicles within the next two years. Heading the list are Evasive Steering Assist, Wrong-Way Alert, Cross-Traffic Alert with Braking and Enhanced Park Assist. These new systems – expected to be available on Ford vehicles within two years – are part of the company’s commitment to triple its investment in developing driver-assist features.
Driving out of trouble
As its name implies, Evasive Steering Assist is designed to help a driver avoid a potential crash when braking alone is not enough. Capable of operating in the city or on the highway, ESA uses radar and a camera to initially warn of an impact and can automatically apply the brakes. However, if it senses that single action won’t be sufficient, it calculates a path around the vehicle and will add its own steering input to supplement the driver’s action — although Ford points out the driver does remain in full control and can override the system at any time. The automaker also is researching a more advanced form of ESA that would be able to offer the driver an optimum alternative path to avoid an impact.
Ford’s new Wrong-Way Alert uses a windshield-mounted camera and information from the car’s navigation system to issue both visual and audible warnings should the vehicle start driving against the flow of traffic.
Operational anytime the vehicle is shifted into reverse, the Cross Traffic Alert with Braking’s rear radar setup first warns a driver that a person or vehicle may be heading into the path of travel and then automatically applies the brakes if necessary. A fully automated system that handles steering, throttle and directional inputs, Enhanced Parking Assist is capable of taking the vehicle in or out of a parallel or perpendicular parking spot at the touch of a button.
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Ford also said it’s working on several other new driver aids including Traffic Jam Assist that can automatically start, stop and a center a vehicle in lane; a new lighting system than uses an infrared camera to highlight otherwise unseen pedestrians, cyclists and animals in the dark; and a camera-based front-lighting system that reads traffic signs and automatically widens the headlight beam when the vehicle enters an intersection.
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