Ford Develops Traffic Jam Assistant Combines Adaptive Cruise and Auto Steering

FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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has developed two new technologies that are meant to make driving easier and safer. The first is Traffic Jam Assist and the other is parking assist that allows for the car to park itself by backing into a parking space. Neither technology is available on Ford's cars at the moment, but it plans on implementing them soon. 

Traffic Jam Assist combines adaptive cruise control and automatic steering to help make driving in heavy driving safety. It uses radar and cameras to monitor traffic in an arc in front of the vehicle. It will automatically follow slow moving traffic ahead while keeping a safe distance and automatically stay in the lane. It will also stop the car automatically. You can see more about how it works in the video below. 

The other new technology is perpendicular parking that will reverse the car into a perpendicular space automatically. It is a development of Ford's automatic parallel parking tech. It uses ultrasonic sensors and the rear parking sensors. The driver pulls up to the spot, presses a button on the center console and selects where they are parking. The car tells the driver to stop and calculates how to park. The driver has to put the car in reverse and control the brakes and clutch.

“Developing these technologies is part of the first step in a journey toward a more connected future. It’s an undertaking we believe will save time, conserve resources, lower emissions, improve safety and help reduce driver stress,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford chief technical officer.