Oh no, you're thinking, yet another cookie pop-up. Well, sorry, it's the law. We measure how many people read us, and ensure you see relevant ads, by storing cookies on your device. If you're cool with that, hit “Accept all Cookies”. For more info and to customize your settings, hit “Customize Settings”.

Review and manage your consent

Here's an overview of our use of cookies, similar technologies and how to manage them. You can also change your choices at any time, by hitting the “Your Consent Options” link on the site's footer.

Manage Cookie Preferences
  • These cookies are strictly necessary so that you can navigate the site as normal and use all features. Without these cookies we cannot provide you with the service that you expect.

  • These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.

  • These cookies collect information in aggregate form to help us understand how our websites are being used. They allow us to count visits and traffic sources so that we can measure and improve the performance of our sites. If people say no to these cookies, we do not know how many people have visited and we cannot monitor performance.

See also our Cookie policy and Privacy policy.

This article is more than 1 year old

Jocasta? Jocasta! Don't ram that trolley into the man: New tech promises an end to this scenario

Word of self-braking supermarket product pram reaches Vulture Central

Finally a solution has surfaced to compensate for parents that simply refuse to say no to their little darlings: a self-braking supermarket trolley.

Ever found yourself swerving out of the way of an overindulged juvenile who has commandeered a metal monster and is sweeping down the aisles at pace, only to end up shunting or mangling the heel of an unsuspecting shopper? Worry no more... ok, well maybe worry for a while longer yet.

The Pre-Collision Assist tech, used in some Ford cars, comprises a forward-facing camera and radar to spot vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in the road, before slamming on the brakes if the person behind the wheel doesn't react.

The same design principles are used by the self-braking trolley: scanning for objects and people and then applying the brakes in advance of a nasty collision with a pensioner or some bananas.

Well, it would if it were commercially available. Sadly the current version is "just a prototype", said Ford. In other words, a marketing gimmick.

"The 'Self-Braking Trolley' is part of a series of Ford Interventions; applying automotive expertise to solve the day-to-day problems we all face," the company claimed.

Now all Ford needs to do is identify a way to stop foxes defecating in your garden (a persistent concern of this correspondent), ensure a smooth Brexit and make Donald Trump stop spouting nonsense on Twitter every day.

Other, er, useful innovations from Ford Interventions include a noise-cancelling kennel for pampered pooches, and lane-keeping beds that prevent the mattress equivalent of a land grab.

El Reg called Ford PR department to pose a bunch of questions but didn't hear back from the marketing bods there at the time of publishing. ®

Similar topics

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like