📰 Auto News 2013 MKZ almost drives itself using "Lane Keeper"

[Flyn]

Ford has introduced Lane Keeper in the 2013 Lincoln MKZ. Basically this system incorporates a dash mounted camera and uses the data from lane markings to keep the car tracking in the center of the lane. Combine this with Adaptive Cruise Control and you have a car that, with some reservations, drives itself.

During highway driving, this system will be able to lock onto the car ahead, maintain a following distance and stay in the center of the lane. System isn't perfect yet but it looks like Lincoln has jumped ahead of the pack by bringing a car to market that can almost drive itself, at least during open highway driving.

The MKZ (and its Ford cousin, the Fusion) use a new system called Lane Keeper that literally steers the car down the road. A forward-looking camera mounted in the windshield mirror assembly reads lane markings and, if it determines you’re about to drift out of your lane, steers the car back toward the center of the lane. Other companies offer conceptually similar systems that attempt to do the same thing by dragging the brakes on one side of the car, but the Lincoln system is hugely more effective. You start to drift out of your lane, even going around a corner, and the steering wheel magically cranks over and points you back toward the centerline.

The MKZ also has adaptive cruise control that uses long-range forward radar to lock on the car in front of you and match its speed. So with cruise control activated, the MKZ is scanning the road for obstacles and braking if necessary, while Lane Keeper steers. Sure, the steering corrections are a little bit clumsy, but that comes down to programming—the system doesn’t step in until you’re heading out of your lane, but it wouldn’t take much tinkering to just keep you in the center of your lane in the first place.

How the 2013 Lincoln MKZ drives itself: Motoramic TV | Motoramic - Yahoo! Autos

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[Eagle]

That is cool. Not sure I like it... but its pretty damn cool.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

people are gonna set cruise control then hop in the back and take a nap

 

[VenomousDSG]

Pretty soon, cars will become self-aware and attack us.

 

[THEHKP7M13]

The baby steps towards cars that do not need drivers.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

i remember hearing something about a long time ago someone set cruise control in their motor home and left the drivers seat for something and wrecked so i wouldnt doubt it...as a mechanic ive seen lots of stupid people behind the wheel

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

lol snopes.com: Cruise Control as Auto Pilot

 

[Burtonrider10022]

What if I try to voluntarily change lanes?

Also, legit question: how would/does the adaptive cruise control/auto braking respond to a potential collision with something like a deer running in front of the car? could it possibly see a hazard before the driver and save someone?

 

[SaturdaysGS]

I thought Mercedes had something like this already? Maybe it was just the adaptive cruise control that I'm thinking of.

 

[02BlueGT]

Ford has introduced Lane Keeper in the 2013 Lincoln MKZ. Basically this system incorporates a dash mounted camera and uses the data from lane markings to keep the car tracking in the center of the lane. Combine this with Adaptive Cruise Control and you have a car that, with some reservations, drives itself.

During highway driving, this system will be able to lock onto the car ahead, maintain a following distance and stay in the center of the lane. System isn't perfect yet but it looks like Lincoln has jumped ahead of the pack by bringing a car to market that can almost drive itself, at least during open highway driving.

The MKZ (and its Ford cousin, the Fusion) use a new system called Lane Keeper that literally steers the car down the road. A forward-looking camera mounted in the windshield mirror assembly reads lane markings and, if it determines you’re about to drift out of your lane, steers the car back toward the center of the lane. Other companies offer conceptually similar systems that attempt to do the same thing by dragging the brakes on one side of the car, but the Lincoln system is hugely more effective. You start to drift out of your lane, even going around a corner, and the steering wheel magically cranks over and points you back toward the centerline.

The MKZ also has adaptive cruise control that uses long-range forward radar to lock on the car in front of you and match its speed. So with cruise control activated, the MKZ is scanning the road for obstacles and braking if necessary, while Lane Keeper steers. Sure, the steering corrections are a little bit clumsy, but that comes down to programming—the system doesn’t step in until you’re heading out of your lane, but it wouldn’t take much tinkering to just keep you in the center of your lane in the first place

How the 2013 Lincoln MKZ drives itself: Motoramic TV | Motoramic - Yahoo! Autos

I thought Mercedes had something like this already? Maybe it was just the adaptive cruise control that I'm thinking of.

 

[SaturdaysGS]

I'm right and wrong in the same post, rofl.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

^ .5 master

 

[RICH17]

What if I try to voluntarily change lanes?

Also, legit question: how would/does the adaptive cruise control/auto braking respond to a potential collision with something like a deer running in front of the car? could it possibly see a hazard before the driver and save someone?

IIRC they are sonar equiped and only shoot towards the front. So basically it only works if you're in traffic or behind another car. If that car starts to slow then you slow. If he slams on his brakes then the system "should" slam on the brakes.

Honestly I think these systems are just making drivers lazier and more dumb

 

[nytebyte]

I imagine this works by looking at the lane markings on the road.

A system like this probably wouldn't work in IL because of the poor road conditions. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to tell where the lanes are due to crumbled pavement and road paint that it completely worn off.

 

[Flyn]

Obviously still a long way to go before we get true robot cars.

With the MKZ, what happens if you are locked on the car in front of you and it changes lanes?

What if the guy gets annoyed you are following him and starts driving erratically?

If this thing runs on lasers, what happens to those of us with laser detectors? I already hate Infinitis because they set the detectors off.

Would the argument "I wasn't speeding, it was the guy ahead of me" work in court?

I know I don't want any big spinning thing on my roof.