Sept. 23, 2022—Ford is designing an app that alerts drivers to nearby bicyclists and pedestrians.
According to Tech Crunch, the mobile app uses Bluetooth Low Energy and sends a location alert from the smartphone of a pedestrian or cyclist near a Ford vehicle to the vehicle itself. In order to utilize this feature, the vehicle would have to have the most recent infotainment system.
The app can also determine potential crash risks, and will utilize screen and audio alerts to communicate with the vehicle driver. According to TechCrunch, Bluetooth Low Energy uses radio waves to sense potential obstacles. This Bluetooth feature is available in many smartphones. Ford has said that the Bluetooth does not need to be paired to the devices of nearby pedestrians and cyclists in order for the app to sense them.
The app is meant to act as a compliment to Ford's pre-existing Pilot360 ADAS.
