Ford Automated Parking
Following its debut at this year’s Los Angeles show, the Ford Edge Concept is creating quite the buzz within the automotive world. While it may not look very innovative and ground-breaking on the outside, that’s because it’s what’s inside that’s really shaking things up!
The technology at the forefront of the excitement is Ford’s fully-automated self-parking technology. According to Ford, the self-parking technology on the Edge is a preview of what’s to come in the arena of automated driving from Ford. It acts as a sort of prototype or test model to gauge the effectiveness and public reaction. Looks like auto careers in the future may involve a lot more computer training then they do now!
Ford’s self-parking technology has the option of either push-button or remotely controlled parking features. Interestingly enough, these features can be used from both inside and outside of the vehicle, according to the auto manufacturer. How great would it be to stand by while your vehicle shimmies itself out of a tight parking space, avoiding any careless bumping or denting? No more bothering your auto mechanic about some restorative automotive painting.
With the fully automated, assisted parking technology, people will be able to remotely navigate their vehicles out of tight or crowded spaces, making it easier to get in and out of the vehicle. Another highlight of the technology is the advanced “obstacle avoidance system,” which can detect imminent or potential dangers to parking and adjust the vehicle accordingly. According to Ford, the obstacle avoidance system will eventually be expanded and developed to include the ability to identify slow-moving or stationary objects ahead of the driver while driving.
Ford hopes to develop the technology so that, even if the driver is not able to react in time to the obstacle, the car will automatically take over and either navigate the vehicle away from the object or brake the vehicle altogether. With an adaptive steering system, navigating at low speeds will become much easier. With the adaptive steering technology, the vehicle will make the necessary changes to your steering based on the driver’s input to the wheel and the speed you’re traveling at, ensuring the safest driving conditions.
It’s not just the automated parking technology that’s sleek and sexy however, as the crossover utility vehicle looks great too. Sleek and sporty with a luxurious interior, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from the next generation Edge. An almost space-age dashboard, with a beautiful use of LED lighting makes this an aesthetically pleasing as well as plushy and comfortable ride.
Ford says that its sensor-based driver assist technologies are forming the building blocks for future autonomous driving. The fully assisted parking aid is a prototype technology that Ford says builds on its current active park features. The sensor-based technology that Ford is developing is said to “form the building blocks” for what they perceive as the future of technology assisted driving. Ford hopes that their strides in the technology will help make driving safer and more efficient in the very near future.
