Skip advert
Advertisement

Ford tests autonomous vehicle pedestrian safety system

Ford’s autonomous safety system sets up communication between vehicles and pedestrians, through a light-based “visual language”

Ford driverless car

Ford’s engineers are testing whether coloured lights, displayed above the windscreen of an autonomous vehicle, could be a solution for increasing pedestrian safety. Ford’s goal is to create a universal communication system between autonomous vehicles and pedestrians.

The system uses an array of lights to signal the vehicle’s intentions. Tests were conducted on public roads, with a human driver at the helm of a modified Transit Connect. To make the vehicle appear autonomous, the driver was disguised as a “human car seat.”

Advertisement - Article continues below

All you need to know about autonomous vehicles

The “human car seat” drivers operate the van’s controls but are able to monitor the road through a false headrest. They the use a lever to operate the roof-mounted light-bar to signal their intended direction of travel. The research found that 60 per cent of 173 pedestrians believed the van was fully autonomous and trusted its signals.

Ford’s engineers experimented with different colours and patterns to see which combination produced the safest pedestrian response. Turquoise was found to be the most favourable colour, with a high number of test subjects reporting trust in the signals provided.

Further tests, with the lights mounted on the van’s grille and headlamps provided the same results, with no change in pedestrian trust levels. Developing an intuitive pedestrian/autonomous vehicle interface is part of Ford’s long-term goal for autonomous travel, with the company aiming to have a fully autonomous vehicle on North American roads by 2021.

What are your thoughts on Ford’s most recent pedestrian safety system? Let us know in the comments section below...

Skip advert
Advertisement

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond
New cars coming soon header image

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond

These are the most important new cars headed our way, from brands including Audi, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Ford, Skoda and more
Best cars & vans
23 Jun 2025
Best fast Fords - the greatest high-performance cars ever built by the Blue Oval
Best fast Fords

Best fast Fords - the greatest high-performance cars ever built by the Blue Oval

We reveal our favourites, from hot hatches to coupés and track legends
Best cars & vans
19 Jun 2025
Best electric car deals: today's top discounts and incentives on new EVs
Best electric car deals - header image

Best electric car deals: today's top discounts and incentives on new EVs

Making the switch to an EV? These car brands have an offer (or two) for you
Best cars & vans
29 May 2025
The best ever popemobiles
Best ever popemobiles

The best ever popemobiles

For nearly 100 years Popes have had bespoke transport – here we chart the astonishing history of the popemobile
Best cars & vans
8 May 2025

Most Popular

Range Rover Sport SV gets massive £35k price drop as it enters series-production
Range Rover Sport SV Black - front

Range Rover Sport SV gets massive £35k price drop as it enters series-production

There’s also a new SV Black trim, and a Range Rover Sport Stealth Package for non SVs
News
1 Jul 2025
Car Deal of the Day: MG ZS gives a big SUV feel for a miniscule £194 a month
MG ZS - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: MG ZS gives a big SUV feel for a miniscule £194 a month

The MG ZS is an easy car to like and live with. It’s our Deal of the Day for 3 July
News
3 Jul 2025
Arrivederci Roma: new Ferrari Amalfi slots in as brand’s latest entry-level model
Ferrari Amalfi - front static

Arrivederci Roma: new Ferrari Amalfi slots in as brand’s latest entry-level model

A slick new look and more power are the headlines for Ferrari’s new baby, but it’s probably some simple new buttons that will get customers’ attention
News
1 Jul 2025