Ford and ADT will invest in a joint venture called Canopy, which combines ADT’s security monitoring and Ford’s AI-driven video camera technology. The solution is designed to help customers strengthen the security of new and existing vehicles across automotive brands.

The venture’s first smart vehicle security system accessory will make use of acoustic sensors for vans, as well as onboard cameras, and radar, LTE, and GPS. The product will have a camera that can be mounted in either a van’s cargo area or on a pickup truck facing the bed, and the platform will use AI technology to identify and report credible threats while reducing false alarm signals. The system will trigger a smartphone alert of any indicators of potential criminal activity, such as breaking glass, metal cutting, or suspicious motion or sound near the vehicle.

The system’s AI component is also designed to distinguish true threats from benign acts — such as a cat jumping into a pickup bed or construction sounds near a vehicle — before alerting the owner or ADT monitoring agents of potential theft. If the system detects a person loitering around or breaching a vehicle, the system will alert ADT monitoring professionals.

Customers will be connected to the system via the Canopy app to livestream video from the vehicle, be notified of of suspicious activity, or review past events. 

Canopy plans to launch its multisensor security systems with available professional monitoring early next year. The first products to be manufactured and sold will be available in the U.S. and U.K. for the industry’s highest volume commercial and retail pickups and vans and will be easily installable by customers to protect expensive work and recreational equipment.

Security solutions from Canopy will begin to see integration into Ford vehicles next year. Canopy intends to pursue factory-vehicle integrations with other automakers over time.