DENVER, Nov. 21 -- Autosense and Ford Motor Co. signed an agreement this month to further investigate a blind spot detection system that has been under development and testing since 1985. The technology, labelled SideMinder and owned by Autosense, uses low-power infrared lasers to detect vehicles in the adjacent lanes. It is particularly useful during lane-change and merge maneuvers. An icon or LED located in the sideview mirror tells the driver that the zone is occupied while fail-safe diagnostics alert the driver of any false readings. Ford will investigate implementing the system on its platforms and introduce it to subsidiaries and related companies. Autosense, a privately held corporation, holds several worldwide patents on the technology. Testing has been ongoing with Ford since 1986.
"Most drivers find the system very useful and after only a few days don't want to drive a vehicle without it," says Warren Hyland, president of Autosense.