New technology called Pre-Collision Assist Pedestrian Detection will be installed on its vehicles in stages…starting 2015. First on the rollout list is a new model, the 2015 Ford Mondeo…and it will be rolled out first in Europe, then other global markets later. Time frames nor specific models for its appearance in U.S. markets was not specified.
The new technology’s objective is as straightforward as its name implies…reducing, even preventing collisions with pedestrians in front of the vehicle…as well as other vehicles. It utilizes both radar and a camera to scan ahead on the road for potential threats of impact…then sounds both audible and visual alarms if the threat is determined to be immenent. Best of all, even if the driver doesn’t respond to the warnings by taking corrective action…the system reacts in two stages: 1) it minimizes the distance between the brake pad and rotor, then 2) automatically applies the necessary braking for avoiding the collision. The systems contains a database that is compares and recognizes the differences between humans and other inanimate objects.
Extensive testing of the new Pedestrian Detection technology was conducted on three different continents…spanning over 300,000 miles of roadway. Ford’s manager of the new Driver Assist Technology stated that so much real world testing is necessary because “pedestrians in an urban setting can present a wide range of potential situations”.
