Ford has been finding more uses for vehicle mounted cameras and the Ford F-150 is the latest to benefit from the technology. Now that the 2016 Ford F-150 has five cameras, the technology is being used for more than just getting a 360-degree view around the truck. The new Pro-Trailer Backup Assist system makes is easier for drivers of all skill levels to park a trailer or back up a trailer to a boat launch.
Learning how to back up a full-size truck with a trailer attached is somewhat counter-intuitive to drivers who have little experience maneuvering trailers backwards. While in reverse, drivers have turn to the right if they want the trailer to turn left, and vice-versa. When trying to park a trailer in reverse it takes a little bit of practice judging the right amount of turn-in of the steering wheel to get the right angle just right. For me it takes several tries getting the trailer lined up perfectly when parking or loading.
Using this technology developed by Ford allows customers to steer a trailer instinctively by turning a knob left or right to indicate direction; the truck controls its steering and limits vehicle speed. The camera system uses tracking flag, seen on the screen, to keep the trailer aligned perfectly. A thoughtful feature is being able to store up to 10 different trailer profiles in the system’s memory. If you own a boat, an RV, a horse trailer and a flatbed, then towing and backing up with those trailers becomes a much easier task because you only have to configure your trailers once into the system.
Dynamic Hitch Assist is another application that uses cameras. It provides a center sight line on the display to help the driver align the truck’s trailer hitch to the trailer coupler. Other uses for the camera technology include lane-keep assist, 360-degree view, and automatic high-beam control.
Here is Mike Levine, Manager of Ford Truck Communications, giving us a demonstration of the Pro Trailer Backup Assist in action:
