Drivers today like to gab and text on their phones while they are on the move. So I guess it makes sense that their cars should also talk to one another.
But unlike distracted drivers, Ford hopes vehicle-to-vehicle communication will prevent accidents, not cause them.
Ford, based in Dearborn, MI, is accelerating research into “intelligent” vehicles, cars and trucks that can wirelessly transmit data between each other, such as location, speed, proximity, and brake status. Guided by a vast array of sensors and cameras, the system can alert drivers to nearby accidents, or signal if they risk colliding with another vehicle at an intersection.
“It’s like having a 360 degree pair of eyes,” says Mike Shulman, technical leader for Ford Research and Advanced Engineering.
What began as an interesting R&D project for Ford has morphed into a company-wide effort to make smart cars a fixture on roads and highways by 2016. (Ford said it doubled its investment on intelligent vehicles but did not disclose specific figures.) The company is contributing two prototypes to government-sponsored driving clinics scheduled for this summer.
“We kind of like to get it out as soon as we can,” Shulman says.
Ford’s work is only one part of an ambitious effort spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Transportation called IntelliDrive.
The goal is to develop a common communications platform for all vehicles, regardless of maker, to talk to each other, using 3G and 4G broadband technologies found in smart phones. IntelliDrive also envisions building infrastructure across the country that allows cars to “communicate” with roads, highways, and bridges, exchanging information on traffic patterns, road conditions, and weather.
“IntelliDrive will help drivers bypass congestion, and it will reduce crashes by providing advanced safety warnings,” according to a report by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a non-profit research group based in Ann Arbor, MI. “It will even be able to take over the vehicle when there is not enough time for the driver to react.”
The system “will also help us manage traffic, alerting drivers to upcoming congestion, advising them of alternative routes, and altering the timing of traffic signals to improve traffic flow,” the report said. “It can even help owners with vehicle maintenance by reporting pending problems, keeping small repairs from becoming larger and more expensive.”
In the past, automakers focused on “passive safety,” such as crush zones, anti-lock brakes, and air bags. But technological advances have pushed car manufacturers to explore “active safety” features such as
