Ford seeks smartphone-based safety tech to alert drivers of nearby pedestrians

Ford Motor Company and a slew of tech partners are working to develop a smartphone application that will alert drivers of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other potential collision risks, even when they’re not in the driver’s view.

The smartphone-based communication technology will work with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) messaging. The application will run on pedestrians’ or bicyclists’ smartphones and communicate their location to a connected Ford vehicle. Ford SYNC can then alert drivers with graphics and audio alerts sent to the in-vehicle screen.

BLE technology is already used in personal devices, such as smartphones, fitness monitoring devices, location-based services, and more.