It ain’t the primary automaker to take action , but Ford’s taking a step inside the ‘stay on your own lane!’ direction with a brand new technology package for the Explorer. The driving force Alert System is slated to launch in early 2012, and it will tout new lane keeping technologies, including a system that may help detect drowsy drivers. The goal this is to maintain sleepyheads from destroying lives — be it their very own or others — by suggesting that they pull over, rest and feature a sip of coffee if they have been cruising along for a long amount of time. Furthermore, a camera setup will monitor one’s lane position, and in the event that they drift too distant from the straight and narrow, their steering wheel will vibrate. All of it sounds good and well, however the incontrovertible fact that a AAA survey found that over 40 percent of american citizens have “fallen asleep or nodded off while driving” makes ‘staying at home’ appear like the practical choice.
* Ford is introducing new lane keeping technologies, including a system that will help detect drowsy drivers, to assist them stay alert and of their lane; system to launch in early 2012 at the Ford Explorer
* The technology’s Driver Alert System monitors the vehicle’s lane position and will notify a driver of signs of inattentiveness with a coffee cup warning light that looks at the dashboard instrument cluster
* Greater than 40 percent of usa citizens say they have got fallen asleep or nodded off while driving, in line with a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
* The Lane Keeping Alert function warns the driving force by vibrating the steering wheel and sounding a warning chime, while the Lane Keeping Aid function warns the driving force by applying torque on the steering wheel to direct the vehicle back into the lane
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 27, 2011 – The hot Ford Explorer will include a cup of coffee for patrons who decide upon an innovative new Lane Keeping System that may warn drivers if it detects they’re getting too tired to drive.
Ford will introduce in early 2012 an innovative Lane Keeping System with three unique features designed to assist drivers stay up to the mark behind the wheel, including a Driver Alert System which can notify drivers if it detects signs of drowsiness. For that reason, a coffee cup light will appear at the dashboard instrument cluster to indicate the motive force take a break.
“The Explorer is loaded with new innovations, including this new lane keeping technology that helps drivers stay in command of their vehicle in the event that they drift out in their lane or show signs of drowsiness,” says Raj Nair, vp, Engineering, Ford Global Product Development.
Click here for animation of Ford’s new Lane Keeping System.
The system uses a small forward-facing camera mounted at the windshield behind the rearview mirror, and is ready to identify lane markings on either side of the vehicle.
When the vehicle is at the move, the camera looks on the road ahead and predicts where the vehicle must be positioned relative to the lane markings.
“Our engineering teams tested this technology for thousands of miles in lots of parts of the rustic to assist ensure it performs on quite a lot of roads with different lane markings,” said Michael Kane, vehicle engineering supervisor for Driver Assistance Technologies for Ford, who helped develop the technologies.
Lane Keeping System
The Lane Keeping System is designed to assist the driving force avoid leaving his or her lane unintentionally. This new technology carries the motive force Alert System, Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid.
Driver Alert System
The driving force Alert System is designed to assist alert drowsy drivers by monitoring the vehicle’s movement in comparison to lane markings which can be tracked by a camera mounted at the windshield. If the system detects a driving pattern in keeping with a drowsy driver, a primary-level chime will sound and a coffee cup warning will appear at the dashboard instrument cluster to recommend the driving force take a break.
If the driving force doesn’t reply to this alert and the system continues to sense the motive force is fatigued, another warning and chime would be issued. Drivers can monitor their condition at the dashboard at any time, even without receiving warnings. In the event that they approach the yellow warning range, they need to rest once possible.
All information is reset once the driving force stops and either opens the door or turns off the engine. Greater than 40 percent of american citizens say they’ve got fallen asleep or nodded off while driving, in line with a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Lane Keeping Alert
The Lane Keeping Alert is designed to assist drivers avoid unintentional lane changes. When the system detects the vehicle drifting with reference to lane markings, it’s going to alert the driving force through a vibration within the steering wheel to naturally direct the driver’s attention to where it’s required.
This offers the motive force with valuable time to react and steer the vehicle back into its lane. To calculate the lane position, Lane Keeping Alert uses data from front camera at the windshield. A display within the dashboard instrument cluster lets the motive force know when the system is operational as not all roads are well-marked.
Lane Keeping Aid
Lane Keeping Aid takes this technology even further by providing steering torque to alert the driving force of the necessity to steer back toward the guts of the lane. The system calculates the quantity of guidance required in line with factors similar to the gap to the lane markings, yaw angle and curve radius determined from front camera and other sensors within the vehicle.
If the motive force prefers, the Lane Keeping Alert can work together with the Lane Keeping Aid. When the motive force signals, the system is deactivated in order that the vehicle can change lanes without intervention. The driving force can override the Lane Keeping Aid at any time through counter steering, hard braking or fast accelerating.
In these cases, the system recognizes that the motive force has intentionally changed lanes. While steering torque is being applied, the system can also display a warning if a torque sensor determines the driving force won’t have his or her hands at the steering wheel in accordance with the driver’s steering efforts.
If the system still detects the driver’s hands can be off the wheel after a couple of seconds, an audible chime is played to assist prevent drivers from inappropriately counting on the Lane Keeping Aid.
Settings
The sensitivity of the setting might be adjusted between normal and increased, which moves the warning zones in toward the heart of the lane. The intensity of the steering wheel vibrations might possibly be adjusted in addition between low, medium and high. The last-known setting for every selection is stored so it doesn’t should be set every time the system is activated.
The system features need to be turned on by the motive force, and should stay on unless the motive force turns them off. The shopper chooses which feature is preferred: alert, aid or both. The systems work both day and night with low-beam headlights.
Dashed lines, like those on highways, will appear when the system is activated. A green line indicates the system is obtainable and able to provide a warning. A flashing yellow line means the system has just provided a Lane Keeping Aid warning, while a flashing red line notifies the driving force of a Lane Keeping Alert warning.
Gray lines indicate the system is suppressed since the vehicle is traveling at lower than the 40-mph activation speed, the line is poorly marked, or adverse environmental conditions don’t allow the camera to work out road markings.
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