One morning in early June, Jim LaPointe was driving on the outskirts of this Michigan city when a deer bounded across the road in front of his Ford Fusion.
Mr. LaPointe braked and avoided hitting the doe, but was caught off guard by what happened next.
“All of a sudden I see this little blip dart out, and it’s a little one running after the mother,” Mr. LaPointe said. He slammed on the brakes and the youngster evidently scooted away. “I didn’t see any fur on the bumper so I guess I didn’t hit him, but it was close.”
Automakers have already developed technologies to prevent cars from crashing into other vehicles and to recognize pedestrians entering and crossing a roadway. Now they are working to give cars the capability of avoiding animals like deer.
Many carmakers are testing new radars, laser-based sensors, digital maps and software to recognize deer and take appropriate measures to avoid crashes. The animals present a challenge because the systems must be carefully calibrated to take into account important characteristics like their movement. Some automakers could start including the new technologies in models this year.
To read more of the original article go to The New York Times.
