Odd names to say the least.
RescueCar.
CamCar.
SensorCar.
Yet each introduces technology to make vehicles safe not only for those riding in the cabin but also for those strolling outside.
All three safety concept cars are being evaluated here at Ford Motor Co.’s Advance Research and Science Laboratories to determine which are feasible.
“What we do here is anticipate the technology needs of the future, technology with the potential to change the nature of the auto industry and how to incorporate that technology into vehicles that people not only can afford but have a desire to own,” said Richard Parry-Jones, group vice president of global product development and Ford’s chief technical officer.
Tall order, especially because, as Parry-Jones says, most of this technology was a figment of scientists’ imaginations only a few years ago.
RescueCar
One of the safety systems closest to making the switch from imagination to reality is RescueCar, technology that’s being tested in a Ford Taurus. Basically RescueCar uses a system similar to the OnStar emergency communication system offered on a host of General Motors vehicles.
As with OnStar, when you need mechanical or medical help, press the button and you are put in voice contact with headquarters that will summon a tow truck or ambulance and pinpoint your location using global positioning satellites. If air bags deploy, voice contact is automatic in case occupants can’t do so on their own.
But RescueCar does more.
Ford researchers say accident survival rates are linked to the speed and accuracy of the victim’s medical care. About 40,000 lives are lost each year in traffic accidents, with about 50 percent occurring before the victim arrives at a hospital.
By reducing medical-response time, Ford figures at least 3,000 of those people could be saved. RescueCar is designed to improve the speed and quality of medical care.
Here’s how it works:
When on-board sensors detect a crash, a series of data recorders start gathering information about location and severity of impact. That information is sent via the car’s cellphone system to rescue crews to get help to the scene.
The information sent includes where the vehicle was struck and at what speed as well as whether the air bags deployed, what seats were occupied and whether seat belts were fastened. That information can be used to determine extent of injuries.
While these data are being sent to medical authorities, an on-board camera transmits a snapshot of the vehicle interior to emergency workers for a count of number of occupants and their positions in the vehicle.
Also, using the GPS, sensors send back the position at which it came to rest, such as on its side or upside down, to help prepare rescuers before they get to the scene.
Rescuers also can talk to the crash victims via a voice-activated cellphone to learn more about injuries as well as medical histories.
CamCar
CamCar is being tested in a Lincoln Navigator sport-utility vehicle. CamCar uses tiny cameras in the backs of both outside mirrors to provide a view of what’s ahead while tiny cameras high along both front fenders provide a view of what’s next to and behind the car. There’s also a series of tiny cameras atop the roof in back for rearward viewing.
CamCar is designed to eliminate the blind spots.
A display screen in the instrument panel directly behind the steering wheel gives a picture of what’s ahead and what’s alongside. You determine which view you want by pressing a button. The view from the pencil-size cameras in the backs of the mirrors is shown in a display screen in the center of the panel; the view of what’s along the sides shows up on screens flanking the center one.
One of the important benefits of CamCar is “seeing around” what’s ahead.
You are behind an 18-wheeler traveling at the speed limit on the interstate and anxious to make time. You pull out to pass on the left, only to find vehicles stopped in the passing lane by an accident. The cameras can see “around” the truck so you don’t pull out and become an accident victim yourself.
Or, you are waiting in the left turn lane on that four-lane highway and it is hard to see around the vehicle across from you also trying to turn left. With the cameras, the screen will show that a subcompact is approaching.
Those forward-facing cameras also could be used to see around the vehicle ahead to help spot pedestrians about to enter the crosswalk as well as to look around vehicles to help spot a desired exit ramp or directional signage.
The roof-mounted rear cameras show what’s coming up from behind and how fast. They also have a “low light” or “night eye” to help the motorist see when backing up at night.
Testing will determine how consumers will handle looking at three screens in the instrument panel while keeping their eyes on the road. Also, for now, the cameras are controlled with a “joystick” device similar to that for a video game. It means taking one hand off the steering wheel. Ford must decide whether consumers can easily use the joystick, which stands on its own on top of the center console; whether a control needs to be built into the center console to keep it in place and make it easier to use; or whether the system could be voice activated.
One added benefit of CamCar is that it can be used in your driveway or in a parking lot to spot people lurking in the dark. But a person with a CamCar could look at people parked in driveways or parking lots without them knowing it, a threat to privacy.
CamCar is a work in progress.
SensorCar
SensorCar is being developed using a 626 sedan from Mazda, in which Ford owns an equity interest.
The system focuses on accident avoidance by predicting an impact and warning the driver.
Sensors monitor pedestrian traffic and provide a warning if it detects someone stepping into the path of the car. SensorCar uses a grille-mounted laser radar unit to scan for pedestrians in front of the vehicle. It can detect a pedestrian dressed in black 147 feet away and one dressed in more reflective white up to 197 feet away.
Sensors in the rear bumper warn of vehicles approaching from behind at a speed that indicates a possible collision.
Upfront, if a pedestrian is within 6 1/2 feet, an alarm sounds from the front radio speakers and a warning light flashes on the instrument panel. If hard braking is needed to avoid a collision, the horn will sound, warning you and the pedestrian.
If the system detects a rear impact is probable, it sounds an alarm from the rear radio speakers and the warning light flashes on the instrument panel.
If a collision is imminent, a motorized retractor tightens the front seat lap/shoulder belts to position occupants closer to the seat backs and headrests to reduce the chance for serious neck injury.
One potential drawback: Sensors can distinguish between moving (people or animals) and stationary objects (poles), but not between people and inanimate objects that are moving–like the grocery cart that roles out in front of you. Another work in progress.
