Ford Expands ‘Split-View’ Camera Applications in SUVs, Trucks

July 1, 2015

Lindsay Brooke

360° camera display screen in the 2015 F-150 pioneers Ford's adoption of this safety technology across its global truck and SUV ranges by 2020.

Ford’s latest vehicle camera technology can help drivers see around corners. The optional “split-view” camera feature enables a view of traffic and obstacles that enter the vehicle’s path from the side by displaying a 180° view ahead of or behind a vehicle.

Split view uses real-time video from 1-megapixel wide-angle-lens cameras mounted in the vehicle’s grill and lift gate. A tri-panel display in the 8-in screen helps customers to perceive quickly whether an obstacle is coming from either side or straight on. Split view is activated by button and automatically shuts off when vehicle speed reaches just over 6 mph (10 km/h).

Split view will be offered on nearly all Ford SUVs globally by 2020, according to the company. A front-only system was introduced on the 2015 Ford Edge, and a front/rear system is standard on the 2016 Explorer Limited and Platinum trim levels in the U.S. and China. European Galaxy and S-Max models get front split view next year.

A small telescopic jet washer keeps the front camera clean on split-view-equipped vehicles; Explorer also uses a washer for the rear camera.

The new aluminum-intensive 2017 Super Duty pickup features up to seven cameras and all-new electrical architecture, making Ford an industry leader in advanced camera technology. The 2016 F-150 has up to five cameras available—four of them mounted in the outside mirrors, and at the rear and front of the vehicle, to enable a 360° view and backup-view functions.

A forward-looking camera mounted behind the rearview mirror is used to activate auto high beams and lane-keeping assist. While the driver never sees the image from this camera, the vehicle’s computer uses the visual signal to operate the rest of the system.