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With Conti system tablet allows driver to exit vehicle and maneuver vehicle and trailer Tom Murphy
<p><strong>With Conti system, tablet allows driver to exit vehicle and maneuver vehicle and trailer.</strong></p>

Ford, Conti Simplify Trailer Backup

Ford&rsquo;s Pro Trailer Backup Assist, developed with Magna, and Continental&rsquo;s Trailer Reverse Assist use a separate knob to steer the truck while in reverse. The driver turns it to the right if he wants the trailer to go in that direction, and vice versa.

Ford may be first to market with Pro Trailer Backup Assist, a handy device in the ’16 F-150 pickup that makes parking a large trailer a whole lot easier.

But Continental has developed a system that could be considered the next-generation solution: Trailer Reverse Assist, which allows the driver to maneuver truck and trailer without even being behind the wheel.

Backing up a trailer can be stressful and challenging because the steering wheel must be turned in the opposite direction to put the rig on its proper path. Even veteran drivers can get flustered if there are trees to avoid or a narrow marina entry for a boat launch.

Both Ford’s system, developed with Magna, and Continental’s simplify the process by adding a separate knob to steer the truck while in reverse.

The driver turns the knob to the right if he wants the trailer to go in that direction, and vice versa. Each twist of the knob spins the steering wheel in the opposite direction, without the driver ever touching it.

In addition to the side-view mirrors, a rear-facing camera mounted to the tailgate of the truck helps the driver visualize the path.

Ford places its control knob on the instrument panel to the lower right of the steering wheel. Continental has installed the prototype system in the center console of a Ram pickup. The Continental system will be ready for production in 2018, and a customer has not been identified.

The Continental system offers a few unique features not yet available on the F-150.

For instance, an Intelligent Rear Camera Module mounted to the truck measures the trailer’s articulation angle and allows the driver to see its projected path as the control knob is manipulated.

Even more impressive is the ability to get out of the truck and use a wireless Apple or Android tablet or smart device to remotely execute backing and parking maneuvers.

This function will be particularly useful for large trailers, especially if the driver has no one at the back of the trailer to shout directions. With this system, the driver can walk backwards alongside the trailer as it inches into position.

With the tablet’s touchscreen, the driver can control low-speed steering, shifting, braking and acceleration of the vehicle when a trailer is detected. The link between tablet and vehicle is achieved with Wi-Fi.

Equipped with an anti-jackknifing algorithm, the system “opens the door to the possibility of autonomous trailer backing and parking in the future,” says Steffen Linkenbach, head of systems and technology at Continental North America.

The system employs 360-degree Surround View, which consists of four Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) Megapixel 185-degree fisheye cameras, as well as a scalable human-machine interface, electric power steering and electronic brake control module.

Ford’s system will be available in winter, and orders can be placed this summer. A Ford spokesman says Pro Trailer Backup Assist will be affordable and will not cost “thousands of dollars.”

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