Skip to main content

Ford upgrades virtual reality simulator

Ford has upgraded its state-of-the-art Virtual Test Track Experiment simulator with improved image rendering technologies and capabilities to study driver performance, helping in the development of safety and driver aid technologies. The company says the simulator has helped in the development of heads-up displays, drowsy driver alerts and lane departure warning technology soon to be available on the all-new Ford Fusion.
March 22, 2012 Read time: 1 min

Ford has upgraded its state-of-the-art Virtual Test Track Experiment simulator with improved image rendering technologies and capabilities to study driver performance, helping in the development of safety and driver aid technologies. The company says the simulator has helped in the development of heads-up displays, drowsy driver alerts and lane departure warning technology soon to be available on the all-new Ford Fusion.

The simulator was developed in 2001 and upgraded image rendering technologies now provide a high-resolution, digitally projected 360-degree horizontal field-of-view to test and measure driver acceleration, braking and steering performance as well as overall driver reactions in varying conditions. The company says that the upgrades will help Ford continue to develop and test active safety and driver aid technologies that warn drivers of imminent collision, drowsiness and other potentially dangerous scenarios behind the wheel.


Related Content

  • IP revolution for CCTV systems yet to happen
    February 3, 2012
    The IP Revolution for CCTV systems which has been predicted for some years now has failed to happen, says Craig Howie, commercial director of Visimetrics Ltd. Given the many aspects of different technologies and standards involved in moving high-value, observation-critical applications into a pure digital age, this is perhaps unsurprising, he feels.
  • Vehicle mounted camera detects pedestrians, aids safety
    March 18, 2014
    The Blaxtair construction machine-mounted vision-based alert system distinguishes pedestrians from other objects, providing a visual/audible alarm to both driver and pedestrian when a person is in a position of danger. The intelligent camera system, from French company Arcure, is an obstacle detection device and pedestrian recognition equipment. It is capable of detecting all types of obstacles, locating them precisely with respect to the machine and determining whether an obstacle is a pedestrian or not.
  • THEA tests connected vehicle technology in Florida
    February 7, 2019
    The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) in Florida trialled connected vehicle technology which it says could lead to collision avoidance in real life. The test was carried out as part of the THEA Connected Vehicle (CV) pilot, an initiative which relies on wireless communication between onboard units that have been mounted on poles along the Slemon Expressway and throughout downtown Tampa. A special rearview mirror was installed in eight vehicles to display safety alerts to drivers. The ve
  • CRASH Predicts ‘unpredictable’ in traffic incidents
    November 11, 2015
    Road crashes are not as random as they may appear and analysing data can reveal patterns that can help various authorities target their resources more accurately. David Crawford reports. Figures from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that in 2013 there were 32,719 people killed on American roads and 2.31 million injured. While these form part of an overall 25% drop over the decade from 2004, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx continues to stress that reaching the procl