Ford Motor Company and Intel’s Mobileye are expanding their relationship to support camera-based Ford Co-Pilot360 Technology advanced driver-assist system (ADAS) features. They include forward collision warning; vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection; auto high-beam headlamps; lane centering; pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking; and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go.
Ford will take advantage of Mobileye’s technology throughout the life of its next-generation production vehicles, including the upcoming F-150 and Mustang Mach-E, which will feature Active Drive Assist hands-free driving. As part of what the companies term is a “high-volume agreement,” new production vehicles will use Mobileye’s EyeQ computer chips and software to support features under Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology.
Mobileye points out that its EyeQ family supports complex and computationally intense vision processing while maintaining low power consumption even when located on a vehicle’s windshield. Building on the capabilities of its predecessors, EyeQ4 can process multiple sensors and other inputs required for driver-assist features.
In addition to its EyeQ family of devices, Mobileye will provide vision-processing software to support Level 1 and Level 2 driver-assistance systems in Ford vehicles globally. Level 1 systems are defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) as automating a single part of the driving experience, such as steering or acceleration/deceleration, while Level 2 systems provide both steering and acceleration/braking support. Each level requires drivers to supervise performance of the vehicle.
For the first time, customers will be made aware that Ford is enhancing its Co-Pilot360 technology via the sensing capabilities provided by Mobileye: Ford will include the Mobileye logo in the company’s SYNC driver-assist displays.
While the companies have worked together previously, this marks the first time Ford is committing to the company’s technology for the entire lifecycle of its next-generation vehicles. Both parties will work with designated Ford Tier 1 providers to supply the technology for vehicle integration.
In addition, Ford is evaluating the use of Roadbook in its vehicles. Roadbook utilizes anonymized, crowd-sourced data from vehicle cameras to build a high-definition map that can be accessed by vehicles and leveraged by driver-assist technology, including hands-free driving features like Active Drive Assist.
Real-World AV Testing in Germany
In a related development, Mobileye received an autonomous-vehicle (AV) testing permit recommendation from the independent technical service provider TÜV SÜD. It enables the company to obtain approval from German authorities to perform AV testing anywhere in Germany, including urban and rural areas as well as the Autobahn at regular driving speed of up to 130 km per hour.
Mobileye is one of the first non-OEM companies to receive a permit to test AVs on open roads in Germany. Until now, AV test drives in Germany have primarily taken place in closed and simulated environments. The AV testing in Germany in real-world traffic is starting immediately in and around Munich.
“Mobileye is eager to show the world our best-in-class self-driving vehicle technology and safety solutions as we get closer to making safe, affordable self-driving mobility solutions and consumer vehicles a reality,” said Johann Jungwirth, vice president, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) for Mobileye. “The new AV Permit provides us an opportunity to instill even more confidence in autonomous driving with future riders, global automakers and international transportation agencies.”
Although the first tests of AVs using Mobileye’s SDS will be completed in Munich, the company plans to perform AV testing in other parts of Germany as well. Furthermore, Mobileye expects to scale open-road testing in other countries before the end of 2020.