Ford Tests ‘Wait-Free’ Driving Tech
Ford is trialing connected vehicle technology in the UK which it claims could lead to the elimination of waiting times for drivers.
The automaker has been demonstrating its V2V software program, Intersection Priority Management (IPM), in the southern UK city of Milton Keynes. Ford says it is intended “to keep drivers driving and bring an end to unnecessary stops at junctions”, while simultaneously improving “safety and efficiency”.
However, this technology is nothing all that new; Ford was trialing its Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory tech in the UK two years ago, which claimed a similar function of traffic light timing updates to drivers for minimization of waiting at red lights. Both systems were showcased as part of the UK Autodrive government program, which concluded last week.
IPM purportedly works by coordinating with other nearby vehicles to let their drivers know the “optimal speeds” at which they can pass each other by at intersections without having to stop. This will apparently involve the program telling the driver whether to slow down or speed up.
IPM-equipped cars inform each other of their respective whereabouts, speed, and trajectories. The program uses this information to identify an optimum speed for each vehicle that will enable safe passage. Ford says it hopes AVs can one day use the system. It also claims if it is implemented successfully, it could make road signs and traffic lights a thing of the past.
