Ford introduces night-time pedestrian detection

Ford is introducing technology that can automatically brake for pedestrians at night; the pedestrian detection system processes information from a radar located in the bumper and a windshield mounted camera; while a database of pedestrian shapes enables the system to distinguish people from objects such as trees and road signs. The camera delivers more than 30 snapshots every second and the video live-feed and viewing angle enables the system to pick out pedestrians, even in low-light conditions, illumin
March 17, 2017 Read time: 1 min
278 Ford is introducing technology that can automatically brake for pedestrians at night; the pedestrian detection system processes information from a radar located in the bumper and a windshield mounted camera; while a database of pedestrian shapes enables the system to distinguish people from objects such as trees and road signs.

The camera delivers more than 30 snapshots every second and the video live-feed and viewing angle enables the system to pick out pedestrians, even in low-light conditions, illuminated only by the headlights.

If the system detects an imminent collision with a pedestrian, it first provides audible and visual warnings to the driver. Should the driver not respond, the system automatically applies the brakes.

Later this year, the technology will be introduced on the next-generation Fiesta in Europe. In North America, the new technology will debut on the 2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Mustang.
Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision UTC

Related Content

  • June 10, 2024
    Safeguarding cities against wrong-way drivers
    Thermal imaging and artificial intelligence analytics provide the best path towards preventing deadly auto accidents, explains Stefaan Pinck of Flir
    Read More
  • March 28, 2018
    US DOTs introduce measures to stop wrong-way driving
    Wrong-way driving (WWD) is a remarkably innocuous term for incidents that all too often cause some of the worst accidents that emergency services have to deal with. Several US states are now taking steps to minimise the problem, as Alan Dron finds out. You’re driving down a highway at night when you see approaching headlights. You initially assume they are merely those of an oncoming car on the opposite carriageway. It’s only when they are within 200 yards or so that you realise that the other driver is in
    Read More
  • June 5, 2014
    TRW showcases driver assist systems
    TRW Automotive demonstrated its driver assist systems (DAS) and outlined expected trends in sensor technologies during the company's recent bi-annual Ride and Drive event at the Hockenheimring in Germany. According to Andrew Whydell, TRW Electronics’ director of product planning, DAS has and will continue to be a focal point for the automotive industry as governments and industry bodies strive to reduce road fatalities worldwide. For example, the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) and the Ins
    Read More
  • December 13, 2013
    Daimler’s double take sees machine vision move in-vehicle
    Jason Barnes looks at Daimler’s Intelligent Drive programme to consider how machine vision has advanced the state of the art of vision-based in-vehicle systems. Traditionally, radar was the in-vehicle Driver Assistance System (DAS) technology of choice, particularly for applications such as adaptive cruise control and pre-crash warning generation. Although vision-based technology has made greater inroads more recently, it is not a case of ‘one sensor wins’. Radar and vision are complementary and redundancy
    Read More

Highlighted Content