When will Ford make the Lane Change Assist available on Blue Cruise?

[Kamuelaflyer]

Is that “frunk release soon”? Or just “new sync update soon”?

Both are intended to be released. One has slipped many times. Will the other? No idea, all I know is what I’ve been told by several Ford insiders in a position to know. Personally I couldn’t possibly care less about BC 1.2; there are not now, nor will there ever be, any BC roads here. Now the Frunk I actually care about.

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[Hammered]

Um, are you sure that you have a normal vehicle produced by Ford Motor Company for the retail North American market that absolutely allows you to go into hands-free BlueCruise/ActiveGlide (the entire instrument cluster tinted blue and the words “Hands-Free”, and that there is no active eye monitoring in that mode? You’re not mistaking BlueCruise ”Hands-Free” for hands-on “lane centering” are you?

I have several fords. There's several trims of copilot 360. There's the basic 360 system w/ no active features, the 360 assist 2.0 (lane centering, radar cruise w/ speed sign recognition, BLISS), and then the active which allows hands free on mapped highways some of the time.

The difference between assist 2.0 and active is the eye sensor allowing for occasional hands off on mapped highways. Outside of the occasional hands free, which ford calls bluecruise, the sytems are functionally identical. Without mapped highway, the bluecruise reverts to the assist 2.0 except that assist doesn't demand to see your eyes.

The CMRs can be installed, but I'm hoping to disable the MMEs. Yes the occasional mapped hands free won't work, but knee dragging performs the same thing. Besides, hands free doesn't work at speed I drive anyway.

All of these features in the MME are available in the F150s, including lightning and the expedition. There's nothing special about the MME's bluecruise and the features that make it up. I have both the active and assist versions, and several of the F150 guys with the active that don't use interstates complain about the eye feature which is only found in the active w/ the CMRs. The F150's assist version is the superior version IMO. The only thing lacking between the two versions are the CMRs (eye cameras). Outside of that the system below that functions 100% identical sans the hands free mapped highway below 80. Not a mapped highway? Above 80 mph? The CMR system complains about both hands on wheel and eyes, whereas the assist w/ out CMRs only prompts for wheel torque ala knee on wheel. Stop and go and lane centering are identical.

 

[Mirak]

As others have said, there is absolutely nothing special about BC 1.0 except that it substitutes an eye nanny for a hand nanny on geofenced divided highways. This highway mapping creates a geofence within which the hand free may be used - it does NOT in any way enhance the accuracy of lane centering.

Lane centering is exclusively provided by the MobileEye single camera on the dash, and the same system is in many vehicles.

These are facts.

Simple truth is, as long as you are watching the road - which you have to do anyway with BC Hands Free - it’s no more dangerous to do without the $600 subscription for hands free and just employ any number of methods to fool the “hands on” torque sensor in the steering wheel.

Some people use the knee method, but I find that annoying. I have tested a 1.5lb ankle weight strapped at the 10:00 position of the steering wheel and it works perfectly. It works so well that I just leave the weight strapped to the wheel. The only drawback is that it is a little bulky. Someday I’d like to engineer a more elegant streamlined solution. But it sure as hell beats paying $600. I’ll post a video soon.

Now, if Ford wants to give me some functionality that I can’t provide myself with a $10 set of ankle weights from Walmart, I’m willing to consider. But if Ford wants $600 for BC1.0 and no assurance of enhancements like lane changes, etc., Ford can pound sand.

 

[Hammered]

As others have said, there is absolutely nothing special about BC 1.0 ...

Precisely. Not sure why some think it's special. The unit in my F150 works better than the MMEs and I suspect it due to camera height.

What's changed in 1.2? Is it a new IPMA or what?

I still drag my knee in hands free because it's the same system, subject to the same dumb lane split following.

 

[A-A-Ron]

I agree with @DevSecOps on the need for a boycott. Nobody should pay a $600 subscription unless they’re going to receive updates. Otherwise we’re just paying subscriptions for static features like seat warmers, frunk release, etc. and that’s not a road we want to go down.

I also agree with @DevSecOps that there is absolutely no evidence that BC1.2 requires the newer ADAS and it is frankly irresponsible to suggest otherwise.

That is the complete and literal opposite of what @DevSecOps said. ?‍

 

[dtbaker61]

When will Ford make the Lane Change Assist available on Blue Cruise?

hopefully never

It frightens me to think that any Driver that needs assistance changing lanes, or is willing to give up responsibility to cameras and software, is on the same road I am.

 

[Gullwingdmc]

hopefully never

It frightens me to think that any Driver that needs assistance changing lanes, or is willing to give up responsibility to cameras and software, is on the same road I am.

It’s not that people Need assistance. It’s just one step closer to autonomous cars that don’t need our interaction to drive on the highway, and eventually any road. Personally I can’t wait for this.

It shouldn’t frighten you either. Current systems are already safer than a human driver in many scenarios. I’d be more concerned about the human drivers that are high or on their phones.

 

[bp99]

It’s not that people Need assistance. It’s just one step closer to autonomous cars that don’t need our interaction to drive on the highway, and eventually any road. Personally I can’t wait for this.

It shouldn’t frighten you either. Current systems are already safer than a human driver in many scenarios. I’d be more concerned about the human drivers that are high or on their phones.

Lane change that requires manually flipping the turn signal first is not a step closer. Lane change where the car proactively decides that it needs to switch lanes to maintain the set speed and it knows that the next lane over is clear to maintain that speed, is a step closer.

 

[macchiaz-o]

I thought Tesla has the FSD and the vehicle is supposed to make decisions ?

FSD Beta is the marketing term Tesla uses for one of its driver convenience systems. Like all driver convenience systems (cruise control, BlueCruise, Autopilot, etc.) it requires an attentive human driver.

 

[Gullwingdmc]

Lane change that requires manually flipping the turn signal first is not a step closer. Lane change where the car proactively decides that it needs to switch lanes to maintain the set speed and it knows that the next lane over is clear to maintain that speed, is a step closer.

BlueCruise 1.2 will suggest a lane change and then perform it when you tap the stalk. It’s a baby step, but Ford is being cautious. They don’t want to get bad press like Tesla.

 

[Mirak]

That is the complete and literal opposite of what @DevSecOps said. ?‍

No, I think I got it right.

 

[Jimrpa]

I have several fords. There's several trims of copilot 360. There's the basic 360 system w/ no active features, the 360 assist 2.0 (lane centering, radar cruise w/ speed sign recognition, BLISS), and then the active which allows hands free on mapped highways some of the time.

The difference between assist 2.0 and active is the eye sensor allowing for occasional hands off on mapped highways. Outside of the occasional hands free, which ford calls bluecruise, the sytems are functionally identical. Without mapped highway, the bluecruise reverts to the assist 2.0 except that assist doesn't demand to see your eyes.

The CMRs can be installed, but I'm hoping to disable the MMEs. Yes the occasional mapped hands free won't work, but knee dragging performs the same thing. Besides, hands free doesn't work at speed I drive anyway.

All of these features in the MME are available in the F150s, including lightning and the expedition. There's nothing special about the MME's bluecruise and the features that make it up. I have both the active and assist versions, and several of the F150 guys with the active that don't use interstates complain about the eye feature which is only found in the active w/ the CMRs. The F150's assist version is the superior version IMO. The only thing lacking between the two versions are the CMRs (eye cameras). Outside of that the system below that functions 100% identical sans the hands free mapped highway below 80. Not a mapped highway? Above 80 mph? The CMR system complains about both hands on wheel and eyes, whereas the assist w/ out CMRs only prompts for wheel torque ala knee on wheel. Stop and go and lane centering are identical.

Ok

to be crystal clear, you are asserting that, in your F150, it will go into hands-free BlueCruise, with the below instrument panel display and that there is no eye tracking while in that mode?

 

[Mirak]

Lane change that requires manually flipping the turn signal first is not a step closer. Lane change where the car proactively decides that it needs to switch lanes to maintain the set speed and it knows that the next lane over is clear to maintain that speed, is a step closer.

I mean, it’s maybe half a step closer. It is at least using side sensors to check blind spots, and BC hands free no longer disengages during the lane switch, so that’s something.

 

[Jimrpa]

FSD Beta is the marketing term Tesla uses for one of its driver convenience systems. Like all driver convenience systems (cruise control, BlueCruise, Autopilot, etc.) it requires an attentive human driver.

Irrespective of the effectiveness of Tesla’s “driver attention monitoring system”, I thought Tesla’s with FSD (and the latest iteration of SuperCruise for that matter) could autonomously initiate and execute a lane change maneuver without explicit command or approval from the driver?

 

[Jimrpa]

No, I think I got it right.

Do you want to review his post?

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