Ford Motor Company, a global automotive company, has developed a new Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection system, which has the ability to can predict the movement of pedestrians to help reduce the severity of and, in some cases, eliminate frontal collisions altogether.

The technology was unveiled in North America as an available technology for the 2017 Ford Fusion.

The company has designed and developed the system which has the ability to detect the pedestrian movement using more than 240 terabytes of test data that is equivalent to 20.4 trillion books, or 600 Libraries of Congress with 34 million books each.

Ford driver assist technologies manager Scott Lindstrom said: “Since we are trying to avoid a collision that hasn’t happened yet, prediction of the future is an inherent part of the puzzle.

“Having a huge cache of data, based on real-world driving conditions, helps our system be smart enough to determine what may happen in a second that has not yet even occurred.”

Ford Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection system takes advantage of radar and camera technology for scanning the roadway ahead for collision risks.

"Having a huge cache of data, based on real-world driving conditions, helps our system be smart enough to determine what may happen in a second that has not yet even occurred."

If the system detects any pedestrian, it sends a visual and audible warning to a driver and for the time being mutes car's audio system.

In case the driver fails to react to the warning, the system automatically applies full braking force to help reduce the severity of, or even eliminate, a frontal collision.

The  company is also conducting tests on advanced features for future vehicles that could allow the system to operate at night, in low and harsh lighting conditions.

Image: Ford’s new technology can predict human movement. Photo: courtesy of The Ford Motor Company.