Ford Adaptive Front Lighting System

2018: Premiere of technology

On November 2, 2018 the Ford company provided technologies of lighting Ford Adaptive Front Lighting System which, according to the developer, will help to make night trips less stressful and potentially safer for all participants of traffic.

In technology of lighting Ford Adaptive Front Lighting System for adaptation of head lighting to the changing road conditions automatic reading of road signs and a marking is used. For example, a system expands a light bunch at an entrance to the circular intersection that the driver could see the cyclists and pedestrians who are at the road. Instead of relying on cards GPS- navigation which not always reflect last modifications in the scheme of the movement the Ford system is guided by real objects of road infrastructure. Having coordinated work of headlights with indications of the camera onboard, Ford "taught" to go head optics a marking and to turn a light bunch towards turn still before the driver begins to rotate a steering wheel, the developer noted.

"In Europe for 15% of a street road network the scheme of the movement annually changes. How navigation systems were useful, only reading of road signs can give an idea of a current status of the road". Michael Koherr, the engineer of technologies of lighting in the European division of Ford

For November, 2018 the front video camera on the Ford models is already involved in technologies which help drivers to support a safe distance from the car ahead, not to leave the band and not to turn on the congress intended for traffic in the counter direction. The camera located in salon under a rear-view mirror is capable to read out a marking and road signs at distance to 65 m that allows to change the direction of a light bunch much earlier, than in systems monitoring rotation of a steering wheel claim in Ford.

Ford poll in Europe showed that 81% of drivers are afraid to take the wheel in night-time. In other poll when the German drivers were asked to tell about the fears connected with night driving, 53% reported that they are afraid not to see the cyclist or the pedestrian, 43% – "see an obstacle too late", 23% – "not see in what direction the road turns". In Russia during Ford poll approximately every fourth (24%) answered that to drive at night to it extremely uncomfortablly. At the same time 42% from those who consider driving at night testing most of all are afraid not to see on the night road of the pedestrian in time. Experts in traffic safety consider that at night the probability to get into accident with serious consequences increases three times.

According to the developer, additional function of the Adaptive Front Lighting System system is the technology of prevention of dazzle of drivers of the oncoming Glare-Free Highbeam cars. Thanks to it it is not necessary to switch light from distant to near at approach of oncoming motor transport – the intelligent system will automatically correct a light bunch, having blocked beams which can blind other drivers. Researches showed that when using the automatic mode the driving beam is turned on about 10 times more often than when switching between distant and near manually that improves the overview in night-time.

Among other technologies connected with lighting for November, 2018 the Ford command is also engaged in development of the system of point lighting in which the camera of infrared vision capable to distinguish pedestrians, cyclists and large animals at distance to 120 m is used.