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Ford unveils Active Park Assist for Lincoln MKS, MKT
Source: leftlanenews
12.30.08

Ford has announced that it will begin offering push-of-a-button parallel parking assistance on two Lincoln models later this year. The Ford system, which is similar to that offered by Lexus, uses ultrasonic parking assistance radar and electronic power steering to navigate a Lincoln MKS or MKT into a parking spot without any physical input from the driver.

The system will be available on mid-2009 MKS sedans and the 2010 MKT — Lincoln’s upcoming crossover that will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

According to Ford, drivers press an instrument panel button to active at a sensing system that will detect a “feasible parallel parking space.” The system then prompts the driver, who must accept the spot. Then the steering wheel will move independently and navigate the vehicle into the parking spot. For safety, the system can be overridden.

Ford says it is planning to introduce the Active Park Assist system into other models equipped with electronic power steering. The automaker says it is working to develop a system that will trigger the power steering to prevent a vehicle from accidentally drifting into a different lane of traffic.

...and another layer of decision-making is removed from the driver.

Demolition Man, anyone? :rolleyes:

Your 2015 Nannymobile, provided by the government at a Cost Effective Price That's Fair To The People ™ has arrived. Please purchase the vehicle at your earliest possible chance and report for de-training.

Are we headed to the future of computer controlled cars?
Tell the Sync your destination and sit back and read the Globe and Mail while drinking coffee and leave the driving to Johnnycab.

NOS2Go4Me,Dec 30 2008, 07:42 AM Wrote:...and another layer of decision-making is removed from the driver.

Demolition Man, anyone? :rolleyes:

Your 2015 Nannymobile, provided by the government at a Cost Effective Price That's Fair To The People ™ has arrived. Please purchase the vehicle at your earliest possible chance and report for de-training.
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I dunno - maybe I'm more of a glass half full kind of a guy - so long as it's a matter of choice having this stuff or not I say it's a good thing.

For me, the more technology available to help the incompetents on the road that will help them avoid hitting me or my family or damaging my car in a failed parallel parking attempt - the better. It doesn't mean my car has to be so equipped.

Geez, makes the Rear Park Assist I have on the Fusion seem almost stone age by comparison :P (Lemme tell ya though, the way the Fusion is designed, god help you trying to back into a parking space without it :ph34r:)

NefCanuck

ZTWsquared,Dec 30 2008, 02:45 PM Wrote:

NOS2Go4Me,Dec 30 2008, 07:42 AM Wrote:...and another layer of decision-making is removed from the driver.

Demolition Man, anyone? :rolleyes:

Your 2015 Nannymobile, provided by the government at a Cost Effective Price That's Fair To The People ™ has arrived. Please purchase the vehicle at your earliest possible chance and report for de-training.
[right][snapback]278894[/snapback][/right]

I dunno - maybe I'm more of a glass half full kind of a guy - so long as it's a matter of choice having this stuff or not I say it's a good thing.

For me, the more technology available to help the incompetents on the road that will help them avoid hitting me or my family or damaging my car in a failed parallel parking attempt - the better. It doesn't mean my car has to be so equipped.
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Im with ya, my wife has hit 2 parked cars now with the wrx in parking lots. How she does this? I have no fawkin clue. But I am now installing the rear view camera feature in my pioneer unit. :lol: