Ford System Will Warn, Correct Lane-Drifting Drivers

PolygamousRanchKid writes "Ford says its new Fusion, which will debut at the North American International Auto Show in a couple weeks, will be the first mainstream midsize sedan in North America to offer a lane departure system. Lane departure systems are aimed at warning drivers, especially drowsy ones, if their vehicles wander out of their lane. A digital camera mounted on the windshield ahead of the rear-view mirror keeps a watch. The system not only causes the steering wheel to vibrate if it senses an unintentional lane departure, it will also steer the car back into the right lane. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes occur every year as a result of drowsy drivers, leading to 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses." I'd just like to know how hard the AI will fight if it misinterprets a driver's intentional lane change.

Comments

Turn signals are a good thing

[EngrBohn]

Personally, I'd guess that a turn signal will convince the AI to allow an intentional lane change.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[newcastlejon]

I wonder if this system could be integrated with parking sensors, to prevent some instances of lane-changing when there's another vehicle in the blind spot.

re: indicators, I welcome anything that even gently enforces their use.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[sribe]

As do I. All these nut bags that refuse to use their signals are a danger on the road.

Turn signals are dangerous. They provide your adversaries with advance notice of your intention; it's much better to take them by surprise. (I came to understand this when I lived in Boston.)

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[Macman408]

In my car, yes, that is the case. Also, the torque applied to the steering wheel to keep you in your lane is pretty minimal; even grandma would have no trouble overpowering the motor to, say, make an emergency lane change to avoid an accident.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[phantomfive]

I came here to say the exact same thing, the post is written in the window waiting for a submit button-press,

Then I realized that in some emergency situations, a lane change is absolutely required. Vibrating the steering wheel is ok, but if it's forcing you to move back to your lane, then this could cause accidents.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[EdIII]

I assume your talking about those assholes that speed up to block you the moment you put on your turn signal. I hate those mfckers.

Which is why this system would prevent my patented "drunk man behind the wheel" maneuver. Asshole does not want to respond your signal and let you in? Just start drifting over a little, correct, and then drift back more forcefully.

If they think you are lucid, they become aggressive. If they think you are having problems it is amazing how much distance they give you right away.

Of course, when I had a F350 raised up, everybody gave me room right away. I miss that beast.

P.S - Yes. I fully acknowledge that I am psychopath on the road, but then I view it as warfare just like the poster you replied to.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[zippthorne]

You haven't driven in the boston area, then.

If you want to get anywhere inside of route 495, you have to throw out almost everything know about safe driving. That knowledge is useless to you. You are in a battle. It is as important to move forward as it is to survive.

If you decide to visit boston, if it is your first visit, and it is raining or snowing or (especially) foggy, don't get on the roads.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[Anonymous Coward]

Some car manufacturers don't put turn signals on their vehicles. BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Cadillac come to mind. Most of these cars don't seem to have them built-in. But I do believe there is an aftermarket turn signal package because a few (very few) do have signals.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[dr2chase]

"Some emergency situations" occur how often? No doubt, for every safety feature on a car there is some fringe case that it makes worse, but the net is (usually) better. What if you *needed* to lock up your brakes and slam the car into a skid, and the ABS prevented it? But overall, ABS is a good thing. We (humans) seem easily distracted by "fault", "intent", and "blame", when it would make a lot more sense to just try to minimize the body count.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[jersey_emt]

Technically, NJ laws state that a turn signal isn't enough notice. The way the law is written, you are required to honk your horn before changing lanes. Seriously.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[robi5]

so if there are no cars that could use my signal than I will not turn it on.

You should also signal to those drivers you're not aware of. Maybe traffic code says things for a reason. But if it's "invent your own traffic rules" day, then I guess anything goes :-)

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[Anonymous Coward]

if there are no cars that could use my signal than I will not turn it on.

Ok, so what if there are cars that you don't see? Or maybe you see other cars but you think they don't care about your signal. What gives you the right to decide for them whether or not they want to see your turn signal?

The most important reason to ALWAYS use your turn signal -- even if nobody is around -- is just to form a solid habit. So much so that it should feel strange to turn or change lanes without using your turn signal. If you have this solid habit of using your turn signals every time, you don't need to worry about analyzing every situation to determine who may or may not need to see your turn signals (and sometimes be wrong) and concentrate on the parts of driving that actually do need your brainpower. Just do it.

If you're worried about leaving the signal on afterwards, maybe you should be paying more attention to your driving.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[cbiltcliffe]

Or, perhaps, you dumbAsses(tm) could just *slow down* and merge BEHIND whoever you think isn't "letting you in".

Then it'd just be the next car back that wasn't "letting them in."

This situation actually happens. Don't discount it just because you live somewhere where drivers have at least half a clue.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[Grishnakh]

Yes and no. The problem is, in modern North American society, it's pretty much impossible to have a decent job and life without being able to own and operate your own car; all the infrastructure is set up that way. Yes, a lot of people survive on public transportation, but it's pretty miserable, taking 3-6 hours a day to get anywhere like here in Phoenix, so only poor people use it, and it really hurts their lives in many ways wasting so much time sitting on a bus. There are a few exceptions like NYC, but most of the country isn't like that.

A better system would be a Personal Rapid Transit system like SkyTran, where you get a small, private car that automatically takes you wherever you want to go, and eliminates the human factor, but that's not going to happen in the USA any time soon as it requires too much investment and wouldn't make any profit for politically-connected corporations like Halliburton and General Dynamics.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[aardvarkjoe]

As far as they are concerned, I'm one of those idiots, even though I am taking deliberate steps to avoid known-dangerous driving. Obviously, I think THEY are the idiots. At least one of us is wrong.

Not necessarily. You could both be idiots.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[Bob the Super Hamste]

Actually they do come with turn signals, but they use special synthetic DOT 7 blinker fluid that is difficult to find and most oil change shops are unaware of this need as they can barely remember to change the oil filter. As this needs to be changed with every oil change the signals cease to function after a short time of neglect. This is much like the Lucas wiring harness smoke that people would in inadvertently let out of their older British vehicles.

Re:Turn signals are a good thing

[gumpish]

if there are no cars that could use my signal than I will not turn it on.

You know why motorcycles are dangerous? It's because of people who assume they know what's in (or not in) their blind spot and can't be bothered to signal, let alone actually do a head check.

How about checking your pretense to omniscience at the door and just fucking signalling?

Thanks.

My Prius

[Anonymous Coward]

already has Lane Keep Assist. It doesn't steer me back into the lane, but it does give me an annoying beep when it senses me leaving the lane. Personally, I'd much rather have my car alert me about this stuff and let me control the vehicle rather than have the vehicle do the stuff on its own.

work zones / new pavement with out lines

[Joe_Dragon]

In works zones some times you see lines all over the place will the AI be smart and auto trun off when it sees that?

Also on new pavement you see the temp lines that may not be picked up the AI.

Re:work zones / new pavement with out lines

[robi5]

In works zones some times you see lines all over the place will the AI be smart and auto trun off when it sees that?

The developers must have not thought of that, and just assumed that their cars will be driven in perfect worlds. Probably whatever output the AI gives will be used to turn the wheels, irrespective of confidence measures, speed, driver intention etc. The developers should have clearly come here to Slashdot first, asking for advice.

Re:work zones / new pavement with out lines

[doon]

I've only had the system in my volvo get confused a couple of times in work zones. I haven't figured out the exact combination that triggers it, but when you have temp lines that got over other lines gradually that seems to confuse it a bit. but if the lines are at more severe angles to each other it seems to handle it just fine.

`why not stop the car?

[MollyB]

The idea that we should promote drowsy driving by making it (hypothetically) less fatal to do so is laughably absurd. Sometimes a driver needs to swerve to miss an accident occurring--no time to signal, so into the pileup we go? Hmm...

Re:`why not stop the car?

[Delarth799]

You fail to realize a great number of things and assume some really crazy ones. Your assuming the AI will take complete control of the steering and apply massive force not allowing for change. When in reality it will be almost certainly be a very gentle steer since it doesn't take much to correct some drifting. Also when you drift your not using your steering wheel to do it. Cars without perfectly aligned wheels drift one way or the other and slight curves in the road and other factors will also cause slight drifts as well, that's why you keep a hand on the wheel at all times. When you INTEND or NEED to change lanes you actually use the steering wheel so the people who designed this, which most people here seem to think are complete morons, probably were smart enough to design the AI so an application of a certain amount of turning power to one degree or another will stop it from vibrating and not trying to steer you back.

Re:`why not stop the car?

[icebike]

The idea that we should promote drowsy driving by making it (hypothetically) less fatal to do so is laughably absurd. Sometimes a driver needs to swerve to miss an accident occurring--no time to signal, so into the pileup we go? Hmm...

From the linked story, (which you clearly didn't read):

When the system detects the car is approaching the edge of the lane without a turn signal activated, the lane marker in the icon turns yellow and the steering wheel vibrates to simulate driving over rumble strips. If the driver doesn't respond and continues to drift, the lane icon turns red and EPAS will nudge the steering and the vehicle back toward the center of the lane. If the car continues to drift, the vibration is added again along with the nudge. The driver can overcome assistance and vibration at any time by turning the steering wheel, accelerating or braking.

The return to lane feature only works if you start to drift into the other lane, not if you actively turn into the other lane, or supply any other common control input to let the system know you are in fact paying attention.

Its not too hard to distinguish an alert driver at the wheel from someone nodding off, because a normal driver supplies 10 to 30 small control movements to the steering wheel per minute (Steering Reversal Rate), and these are typically Greater than 2 degrees and less than 6 degrees regardless of road curvature or lack there of. Once this rate falls to less than 5 reversals per minute, the car's computer can assume from this single measurement alone that the driver is getting drowsy, and when there are almost no reversals at all, that the driver has fallen asleep.

So the mere presence of control frequent movements on the wheel would sufficient to distinguish an intentional lane cross from an unintentional one.

There is a large amount of research already available on the web about his stuff. Google steering wheel reversal rate. This stuff has been known and measured for decades.

Re:More Crapware by Software "Engineers"

[TheGratefulNet]

but none of the responsibility or liability.

sort of like, ohhh, I don't know - maybe posting as an AC ??

you'd be the expert on that, then.

Is this a poor mans self driving car?

[trout007]

So if I get on the highway can I set my cruise control and take my hands off the wheel?

Buick

[Fnord666]

You would think Buick would be the first to come out with this in the US, given their customer demographic.

Re:More of a distractionary feature.

[Trepidity]

"Proper, US-sized engine blocks" aren't selling well, and when you consider the cost savings they'd forego if they didn't share parts between their US, European, and Asian lines, are even less cost-effective to sell.

Re:Winter

[tipo159]

Then the camera won't be able to see the lines, now will it?

Do you spend much time driving in winter conditions? Sometimes two lanes in the direction of travel end up effectively reduced to one with the painted lane divider line clearly visible in the middle of the lane. Around curves, the position of the painted lane divider line will shift relative to the track of the lane of travel.

I can't imagine that there won't be a disable button for this feature for stuff like winter driving.

Re:Sedans?

[Trepidity]

A "sedan" in US English is what UKians call a "saloon car".

I'm not sure the UK wins less ridiculous name on this one, unless your saloon car also has swinging wooden doors, serves alcohol, and has several cowboys as passengers.

smart cars lead to dumb drivers

[pbjones]

smart cars lead to dumb drivers. On good roads people drive faster, not better. In smart cars people will drive thinking they are safer and will take more risks. As nice as the idea is, the people that this system targets should not be driving.

No effing way I'm trusting my life to this...

[EmagGeek]

How long will it be before someone dies because a bug in the software caused their car to steer unexpectedly into something, or causing the driver to overcompensate (telling the computer "NO!"), causing a crash?

This has disaster written all over it.

I've known two people killed by sleeping drivers.

[MyFirstNameIsPaul]

Maybe this kind of technology can save a few lives.

exactly how far behind are they?

[Anonymous Coward]

from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_departure_warning_system

snippets:

In 2007 Infiniti offered a newer version of this feature, which it called the Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system. This feature utilizes the vehicle stability control system to help assist the driver maintain lane position by applying gentle brake pressure on the appropriate wheels.

In 2004, Toyota added a Lane Keeping Assist feature to the Crown Majesta which can apply a small counter-steering force to aid in keeping the vehicle in its lane.

2003: Honda launched its Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS) on the Inspire.[13][14] It provides up to 80% of steering torque to keep the car in its lane on the highway.

Re:Too many qualifiers

[benjamin_scarlet]

The Prius Lane Keep Assist feature does steer a bit, gently - the wheel tends to drift toward it's best guess of the center of the lane. It won't drive for you, though: if you take your hands off the wheel it notices (I think it notices the absence of any applied torque over some reasonably short interval), sounds an alarm and turns off the feature.

US-sized in that you get more car for the dollar.

[sethstorm]

Versus Europe and Asia, you get more car in the US, and it is built for the wide open spaces that frustrate golfcarts.

What is it with Europe and their hate on ordinary people having Detroit-like power under the hood, up to the point where people let V8 behemoths rot in garages for fear of taxes?

US cars are hardly inelegant or antiquated - they just weren't built with austerity, but built with pride. You don't see General Motors/Chrysler/Ford cars being blown up by terrorists; you see them use cheap-as-shit Toyotas, Hyundais, Mitsubishis, Peugeots, and other non-US cars that are made with no attention to quality or design.

The US made the mistake of allowing transplants in the door during the days of import quotas in the 1980's. That, and we haven't protected our manufacturers enough to keep US cars that are truly built with only a US audience in mind.

Another feature

[McDrewbie]

How about after say 3 times the car has to enable this feature, it removes all control from the driver, keeps their belt buckled, and drives them to the nearest 12-hr Driving Course for a re-upper.

Re:More stuff to go wrong

[Zcar]

And a transmission.

What does it do if you miss the Ford dealership?

[rcpitt]

At oil change time when you go to turn into the Mr. Lube the steering wheel resists, the doors and windows lock, the radio turns to a Ford oil change commercial and you're driven to the nearest Ford dealership

Re:Goodbye Ford. We knew you well...

[rrossman2]

They aren't the first company to implement this.... its a fairly tested setup outside of the US

Will it wake me when my exit's coming up?

[outsider007]

Also I'd like to request a 'snooze bar' feature, sometimes I like to get a few more minutes sleep before getting off the highway.

Re:US-sized in that you get more car for the dolla

[Anonymous Coward]

US automakers, set to their own devices, produced SUVs and muscle cars, and pretty much crap otherwise.

When oil was suddenly $100 per barrell, they couldn't sell them. Not very far sighted.

Your "Everything's bigger in Texas" attitude is just a bunch of "rah rah rah" and very little pragmatism or business sense (nor general empathy or social awareness).

While I do enjoy my sporty car, it's 2.0L flat-4 and the new models produce almost 240hp. It's not exactly a gas hog, and can accelerate at almost uncomfortable speed. I just don't understand why your average commuter even wants 300-500hp under the hood. That seems both dangerous and wasteful.

It's not that I don't agree that it's your right to be both dangerous and wasteful, but I believe you should pay dearly for doing so, so that the rest of us who are sensible don't have to clean up after you.

Re:More of a distractionary feature.

[The Master Control P]

We're sorry that the average American can't afford a 350hp V8 penis compensator under the hood any more. Complaints can be filed with OPEC to your right.

Phrasing...

[fahrbot-bot]

...it will also steer the car back into the right lane...

I hope they mean "correct" (or "current") lane.

Re:Too many qualifiers

[The Master Control P]

Legal CYA. In nominal conditions, it's been possible to build a lane-feedback PID steer-er for a long time. But if it did continue to steer you under automatic control, any accident you're involved in someone will try to sue Ford claiming it's their fault their system steered you into an accident. Because true or not Ford has much deeper pockets than your insurance policy...

Keeping Dangerous Drivers on the Road

[guttentag]

Normally a drunk or drowsy person would run off the road and either be jolted awake by the rumble strips or hit a tree/guardrail/ditch/etc. It sounds morbid, but they are the only ones injured or killed.

This new system defeats the purpose of the rumble strips by preventing your from getting to them and keeps you on the road until you hit someone else. It turns a dangerous, incapacitated driver's vehicle into a guided missile. This is a very bad thing. I'm not at all convinced the a vibrating steering wheel will wake them up... Rumble strips violently rock the whole car and make a loud, disturbing noise.

Re:Keeping Dangerous Drivers on the Road

[swonkdog]

... Rumble strips violently rock the whole car and make a loud, disturbing noise.

That sound may be disturbing if you are a responsible driver who may for one reason or another have momentarily lapsed in control of your vehicle. Out in Las Vegas the sun destroys painted lines so quickly that they have more or less given up repainting them and now delineate lanes with little round plastic domes. I've seen many times where a drunk driver will use that 'loud, disturbing noise' to navigate. They call it driving by Braille. You and I consider that noise to be disturbing, they consider it to be reassuring. It's one of the reasons that I will absolutely not be out on the roads tonight (New Years Eve).

Re:I've known two people killed by sleeping driver

[the eric conspiracy]

Nah, it will just encourage people to perform non-driving tasks while behind the wheel, such as apply eye makeup, shave, eat breakfast, text, look at other people in car while talking, sleep, and so forth.

The single best law that could be enforced....

[wealthychef]

is to force people to always leave at least 3 car lengths between themselves and the car in front of them on the freeway, including onramps and exits. (metering lights effectively create this situation, and they do work). This way, people could always merge, change lanes, etc. Once a merge or lane change was accomplished, another merge or lane change by the same car should not be allowed until proper distance is established from the car in front again. If the police would simply enforce this one law ruthlessly, road conditions would improve dramatically. The preponderant reason for traffic jams is people not letting others merge or execute needed maneuvers, and people making sudden lane changes, both of which cause sudden braking, which is amplified backwards through traffic. Smooth driving, even under severely packed conditions, would alleviate almost all traffic jams.