Ford Unveils Latest Self-Driving-Car System

Ford Motor Co.'s latest semi-autonomous car technology uses infrared scanning and 3-D background imaging to create a virtual world that guides the vehicle.

The company's Ford Fusion hybrid test vehicle carries third-generation technology co-developed with the University of Michigan and State Farm Insurance.

The goal of the continuing joint effort is to develop a production-ready car by 2025 that can navigate in traffic, with the driver prepared to intervene if necessary. Much of the continuing work centers upon algorithms that allow full vehicle control based on sensor input.

Several carmakers have announced their own self-driving car programs and claimed their systems will be ready to market by 2020.

Ford says its emphasis on integrating systems already in production distinguishes it from many other efforts to develop self-driving vehicle systems.

The Ford system uses four roof-mounted LIDAR (light detection and ranging) systems that bounce infrared light off their surroundings. The company notes that multiple-sensor array provide sharper image resolution than single-sensor systems. Ford says the system borrows sensor arrays that are being used in several of its production vehicles for obstacle detection and automated parking features.

Ford's sensor array works in conjunction with a 3-D image stored in the system's memory. The image provides a 3-D background that simplifying the challenge of detecting objects within it. The system compares the LIDAR scan with the image to determine, for example, if an object ahead is stationary or a person in motion.

The company notes that its system could be used in semi-autonomous situations. One example: vehicle platooning, where vehicles travel in a synchronized group.