8 automakers refine technology that helps avert crashes
David Shepardson -
DETROITNEWS - January 25, 2011
A group of eight automakers that includes Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG is working in Farmington Hills on technology to enable vehicles to talk to each other, to prevent crashes.
Ford demonstrated the emerging technology on three Escape SUVs Tuesday, ahead of this week's Washington Auto Show.
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If every car had it, it would be like another pair of eyes," said Mike Shulman, technical research leader at Ford's active safety research and advanced engineering team. "You wouldn't know it was there unless you need it."
The wireless technology alerts drivers to oncoming vehicles, when other technologies such as radar are unable to pick up on their approach. It sends out the vehicle's position 10 times a second.
Working with funding from the Transportation Department, the automakers' consortium plans to build 64 vehicles eight from each and retrofit 2,000 vehicles on the road for a study of technology next year. The test site hasn't been decided.
"It can't just be a Ford-only system because we need to get messages from Hondas, Hyundais, Kias and send them data," Shulman said...
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