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Ford on Wednesday announced an artificial intelligence feature for connecting trailers.
Called Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, the new system can control steering, acceleration and braking to stop the pickup truck in the right place, using the rearview camera and radar to align the hitch with the trailer. Ultrasonic parking sensors also detect obstacles in the truck’s path.
Available on the F-150, F-150 Lightning, and F-Series Super Duty trucks, the system is activated at the push of a button. Operation is hands-free, but the driver must monitor everything, using a camera feed on the truck’s center touchscreen that shows a close-up view of obstacles.
Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is based on a machine learning algorithm, which can detect certain objects such as hitch balls and trailers at distances of up to about 20 feet, according to Ford. The automaker claims it has fed its algorithms a large amount of data “to detect a wide variety of trailers of various sizes on different terrain and in various weather conditions,” and that improvement could be made through a future software update. A separate control algorithm directs the truck.
Ford Pro Trailer Hitch Help
Pro Trailer Hitch Assist builds on Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which automatically backs up the trailer once connected. The driver selects the angle using dashboard knobs, and the truck controls steering and speed.
In addition to Pro Trailer Hitch Assist availability, the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty has been updated with a new pair of engines, improved towing and hauling, and the addition of connected features. The F-150 Lightning, meanwhile, has received some price hikes, with the entry-level Lightning Pro now starting at $61,869, including destinations. The electric truck starts at $41,669 when it launches in April 2022.
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