Ford unveils radar-based Collision Warning with Brake Support system
Click above for high-res gallery detailing Ford's new radar-based safety tech
Just a day after unveiling its innovative and controversial MyKey system, Ford has come back with another piece of new technology, this time safety related, that will start appearing on some 2009 models. It's called Collision Warning with Brake Support, and it uses the radar system that makes Adaptive Cruise Control possible to detect what's in front of the car. If the system senses contact with something might happen, most likely another car, it will at first sound an audible alarm and activate a warning light. At the same time it will "precharge" the brakes and activate a brake-assist function in case the driver needs to slam on the brakes. While Ford doesn't give the details about what's exactly happening, it sounds as if this radar system will monitor the distance between your Ford and what's in front of you, and if a collision is deemed imminent will effectively get the brakes ready for a panic stop. We're told the technology will begin on appearing on select Ford and Lincoln models for 2009, along with other radar-based technologies like the aforementioned Adaptive Cruise Control that debuted on the 2009 Lincoln MKS and BLIS, a blind spot warning system. Check out video of the Collision Warning with Brake Support after the jump along with Ford's official press release.
[Source: Ford]
PRESS RELEASE
FORD'S LATEST SAFETY BRAKETHROUGH – COLLISION WARNING WITH BRAKE SUPPORT – COMING IN 2009
- Ford to introduce new "active" safety radar warning system – Collision Warning with Brake Support – in 2009 to help drivers avoid rear-end accidents.
- Collision Warning with Brake Support uses radar to detect moving vehicles ahead and warns the driver of danger with an alarm and warning light. The system also automatically pre-charges brakes and engages an electronic brake assist system to help drivers stop more quickly.
- Collision Warning with Brake Support is one of three new radar-based active safety technologies Ford is launching in 2008 and 2009. The others are Adaptive Cruise Control and BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert.
View Collision Warning Video (YouTube)
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 6, 2008 – Ford Motor Company, building on its safety and technology leadership, announced it will offer a new advanced "active" collision-avoidance technology, Collision Warning with Brake Support, on certain Ford and Lincoln vehicles next year.
Collision Warning with Brake Support uses radar to detect moving vehicles directly ahead. When the danger of a collision is detected, the system warns the driver with an authoritative beep and a red warning light projected on the windshield above the instrument panel. The system also automatically pre-charges brakes and engages a brake-assist feature that helps drivers quickly reach maximum braking once the brakes are engaged.
Collision Warning with Brake Support is one of three new radar-based active safety and driver-aid technologies Ford is launching across a range of vehicles in 2008 and 2009. The others are Adaptive Cruise Control, launched this year, and BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert, which debuts in 2009. All three features use radar to detect the relative position of other vehicles and warn the driver with a combination of visual and audio alerts.
The new technologies build on Ford's leading number of top safety ratings, including the most 5-star government ratings of any automaker, and a leading number of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety "Top Safety Picks."
"The new Collision Warning with Brake Support technology puts us on the leading edge of active safety to help customers detect and avoid possible dangers," said Paul Mascarenas, Ford vice president of engineering, Global Product Development. "Ford will be the first to offer this technology on mainstream models that many families can afford."
Unexpected detected
Collision Warning with Brake Support builds on the basic function of Adaptive Cruise Control, a driver-assistance feature that Ford introduced on the 2009 Lincoln MKS. Adaptive Cruise Control uses radar to detect moving vehicles immediately ahead and modify cruising speed if necessary.
"Adaptive Cruise Control really marked the beginning of pre-emptive driver-assistance systems," said Jerry Engelman, Adaptive Cruise Control supervisor, Chassis Electronics. "Ford was able to use the radar technology and experience to develop the Collision Warning with Brake Support system."
Research indicates that Collision Warning with Brake Support could be particularly helpful in warning a driver who is distracted or drowsy. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the majority of accidents involve driver inattention. The agency's research found that one extra second of warning could prevent up to 90 percent of rear-end collisions. CWBS offers three programmable alert settings ranging from approximately 1.5 seconds to 2.5 seconds.
"It depends on the user's preference, because one person's false alarm may be another person's near miss, and it's important that drivers are comfortable with the system," said Tom Pilutti, technical expert, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. "Some people have a slower reaction time, and the longer time setting may meet their needs better than the shorter setting. Our research shows that most drivers will prefer and feel more comfortable with the longer default setting."
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, forward collision warning systems like Collision Warning with Brake Support have the potential to help prevent the kind of rear-end crashes that occurred 2.3 million times per year from 2002-2006 – almost 40 percent of the total crashes reported to police each year in the U.S.
Clearer sight with science
BLISTM (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert can help provide extra confidence to drivers in parking lots by alerting drivers sooner of nearby traffic while backing out. It uses two multiple beam radar modules, which are packaged in the rear quarter panels. The radar detects moving objects within a 65-foot range from either side of the vehicle. The radar identifies when a vehicle enters the defined blind spot zone and illuminates an indicator light on the corresponding side-view mirror providing a warning that a vehicle is approaching. An audible alert is sounded as well.
Researchers at Ford's North American advanced driving simulator, Virtual Test Track Experiment (VIRTTEX), dedicated most of the past few years studying how active safety technologies in vehicles may better alert drivers of potentially dangerous driving incidents.
"New technologies such as radar, cameras, lasers and GPS may enable us to offer more safety and convenience features in the future," said Jeff Rupp, manager, Active Safety, Research and Advanced Engineering at Ford's Research and Innovation Center. "A key is identifying the kinds of warnings that drivers will find both more effective and easier to understand."
For Collision Warning with Brake Support, VIRTTEX researchers learned drivers respond more quickly to certain audible alerts that are more authoritative. Their research also shows some preference for a combination of warnings – audio alerts backed up by a visual warning – such as those that will be offered with Collision Warning with Brake Support system.
Safety in demand
Vehicle safety technology is second only to fuel efficiency on customers purchase consideration lists, according to a recent study by RDA Group Global Market Research of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. According to the research, among consumers' top desires for safety features are collision warning and prevention, greater traction controls, entrapment prevention, and vehicle-to-vehicle communications.
"Over the past several years we've seen drivers' attitudes change regarding safety technology," said Jim Thomas, senior vice president, RDA. "It used to be that they didn't want to release control of the vehicle at all, but now they're looking for the vehicle to be more proactive."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
G-Meister 8:42AM (10/08/2008)
It always bugs me when they can't seem to mention who their technology partner(s) is(are). Who is supplying their vehicle dynamics system?
/note- I'm sure if I'd kept up on the last 8mo. of reading A.E., I would know/
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Kitko 9:07AM (10/08/2008)
Does it work like this?
As seen on Top Gear:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=014HvgPvzuM
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Jake 9:11AM (10/08/2008)
I wonder if it also keeps track of the speed of the vehicle in front of you, or would it stop you in normal traffic flow?
Interesting technology.
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ken_aisin 9:25AM (10/08/2008)
In between the "brake support" red zone and the collision, there should be a front bumper airbag* deployment zone.
*A large airbag that is installed in the bumper to minimize the frontal damage.
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Paul 9:34AM (10/08/2008)
Just moving more tech from Volvo over to Ford...
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TKOsoccer03 1:41PM (10/08/2008)
ya basically .. it's still FoMoCo's technology, but with the current market, Ford is attempting to make Ford vehicles as upscale as possible, seeing that Mercury will be taking a new direction very soon.
DJKronik57 9:38AM (10/08/2008)
So they're just taking stuff from Volvo now and calling it their own? BLIS and this technology was developed by Volvo originally and debuted in the XC60.
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CH 5:42PM (10/08/2008)
Volvo's BLIS is different and was available in Europe starting in 2005 on various models. It uses a camera in each side mirror, while Ford's BLIS is radar-based.
As I pointed out above, Ford's CWBS is entirely different from the City Safety system on the XC60.
caiocampos1 9:42AM (10/08/2008)
Lexus has had a similar system on the LS600hL for a while and it's awesome.
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matt 9:49AM (10/08/2008)
just more crap to give my V1 false positives.
hey, automakers -- we don't need radar to make us stop -- that's what eyes, hands, and feet are for!!!
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spdracerut 10:32AM (10/08/2008)
Tell that to the people in LA! I've had 3 friend that got rear ended while they were at a stop at a light.
YO MAMA 9:56AM (10/08/2008)
I'm all for new safety tech in cars but what ever happened to keeping your attention on driving, looking ahead and being aware of your surroundings?
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s13hybrid 10:18AM (10/08/2008)
Just another reason for drivers to not pay attention. I am tired of oblivious drivers on the road, and the more safety factors there are, the more they seem to just keep on being oblivious to their surroundings.
judd 10:12AM (10/08/2008)
Oh man. Can I still tailgate while driving my big SUV? How am I going to blind people if I'm too far back?
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dodgeviper88 10:30AM (10/08/2008)
OMG, this is so totally new technology. How advanced of Ford for having this kind of ingenious technology which I'm very sure that no one has ever thought of it before. Huh what? You mean it has been around for years already? No way! I'm sure they copied the technology from Ford just like how Robert Kearns copied the intermittent wiper technology!
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stpat 11:46AM (10/08/2008)
I think the big thing here is the announcement that Ford is going to be putting this technology on more mainstream vehicles whereas currently it is only available on high end models like Lexus, Volvo, or Benz.
inZane 10:36AM (10/08/2008)
This is not a new tech.
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psu48187 3:17PM (10/08/2008)
No it's not new tech, but if Ford implements the tech on Ford and Mercury vehicles it will be one of the only non-premium brands to offer it.
And yeah this is simply more Volvo tech that is being trickled down to the masses.
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Pat NCN 1:16PM (10/08/2008)
Is it identical to City Safety (Volvo's new system as fitted to the XC60)?
Certainly sounds like it.
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CH 5:15PM (10/08/2008)
No, this is not equivalent to City Safety, which is a low speed (20 mph or less) collision avoidance/mitigation system using a laser, camera and full automatic braking.
Instead, it's analogous to (and is probably the same system as) Volvo's Collision Warning with Brake Support which debuted on the new S80 in 2006. The Volvo system was updated late last year to include automatic braking and renamed Collision Warning with Auto Brake. CWBS and CWAB use radar and work at speeds above 20 mph.