Ford and home-security company ADT announced a joint venture to create a video security system for cars. It launches in the United States and United Kingdom next year.
Called Canopy, the system will combine ADT's security-monitoring platform with Ford's in-car camera tech, the Blue Oval said in a press release Tuesday. Canopy will launch in the form of accessories that can be retrofitted to existing Ford pickup trucks and vans, including the F-150 and Transit and their electric F-150 Lightning and E-Transit counterparts.
Canopy's first system will consist of acoustic sensors for vans, cameras, radar, GPS, and an LTE data connection. A camera will point at a truck's bed or a van's cargo area, and use artificial-intelligence software to identify threats, according to Ford.
If the AI detects a true threat (and not a cat jumping in a truck bed), it will notify owners, who can connect via a dedicated app to a video livestream. The system will also alert ADT monitoring agents if it detects a person loitering around or breaking into a vehicle; the agents can then contact customers, fleet managers, or the police.
Canopy security systems will be sold through dealerships, major retailers, and online, Ford said, adding that it also plans to look at factory installation of Canopy hardware in new vehicles.
Ford and ADT are also planning for periodic updates. Audible alerts, programmable voice recordings, and a two-way audio connection to let owners try to shoo away thieves will be added sometime after launch. Canopy also plans to seek out partnerships with other companies, including insurance companies, to launch new products and services.