Award in Tow: Magna’s trailer angle detection technology receives 2018 Pace Award

The 2018 Automotive News PACE Awards recognized forward-looking supplier innovations but it was literally a backwards-looking technology – Trailer Angle Detection – that earned Magna its third PACE Award in the past four years.

The Magna Trailer Angle Detection team proudly displays their PACE Award. The technology debuted on the 2017 Ford Super Duty pickup and makes backing up trailers safer and easier for drivers.

Magna‘s electronic driver assistance technology provides the foundation and enables the Trailer Reverse Guidance and Pro-Trailer Backup Assist systems jointly developed by Magna and Ford. The technology debuted on the 2017 Ford Super Duty pickup and makes backing up trailers safer and easier for drivers.

“Thank you to Automotive News and its judges for recognizing Trailer Angle Detection with a PACE Award,” said Kelei Shen, President of Magna Electronics. “We leveraged our expertise as a global leader in automotive rearview camera technology and worked alongside Ford Motor Company to develop an innovative solution for its pickup truck customers who value trailering and towing.”

Magna’s image-processing software determines the angle between truck and trailer and provides the most appropriate view to the driver, depending on the trailer’s trajectory. High-resolution cameras and color-coded diagrams of the truck help warn the driver of potential jackknife conditions. This technology helps make Ford’s F-Series trailer assist systems exclusive in the pickup truck segment and best-in-class for any vehicle segment.

“Magna ADAS products are currently found on more than 90 different OEM models, and we are proud to utilize our experience to help Ford bring this innovative technology to market,” said Swamy Kotagiri, Chief Technology Officer at Magna. “Trailer Angle Detection is a great example of how we are capitalizing on our legacy in vision-based technology and providing the building blocks for autonomous vehicles.”

Trailer Angle Detection represents Magna’s third PACE award in the last four years. Magna was recognized in 2015 for its PureView seamless sliding window and in 2016 for its industry-first SmartLatch™ electronic side-door latch system.

The Automotive News PACE Awards celebrate automotive suppliers’ innovations in products, manufacturing processes and information technology. PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence) winners were announced at the 24^thannual ceremony on April 9, 2018, in Detroit, Mich.