Directional Audio Alerts put safety in the driving seat
Ford is carrying out tests on Directional Audio Alerts, a system that simulates sounds made by potential hazards, such as footsteps made by pedestrians or a ringing bell from an oncoming bicycle.
According to Ford, this system would use in-vehicle speakers to let drivers to know the direction from which potential hazards are coming from.
Initial tests revealed that drivers using Directional Audio Alerts were significantly more accurate when it came to identifying potential hazards and their position. “Today’s warning tones already inform drivers when they need to take care and be vigilant. Tomorrow’s technology could alert us to both exactly what the hazard is and where it is coming from,” said Oliver Kirstein, SYNC software engineer, Enterprise Connectivity, Ford of Europe.
Ford vehicles currently feature driver assistance technologies that use a suite of sensors to identify when pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles are nearby. These technologies offer visual and audible alerts and if necessary, apply emergency braking. Now, Ford-developed software uses the information from the sensors to select the appropriate sound and play it through the speaker closest to the obstacle.
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