Ford Motor and security firm ADT are forming a new company to develop vehicle security technology designed to prevent thieves from stealing valuables out of your car, truck or van.
Why it matters: The FBI estimates more than $7.4 billion was lost to vehicle theft and stolen work and recreational equipment in 2020. The new venture, called Canopy, will use AI-based security systems and cameras to help people keep a closer eye on their vehicles and the property they carry inside them.
Driving the news: The companies are investing $105 million in Canopy, with Ford owning 60%.
- The first product, available in 2023 in the U.S. and U.K., will be a multi-sensor accessory that can be installed in any vehicle and connect to owners' smartphone with an app.
- Later, Canopy will introduce systems that can be integrated into the design of Ford vehicles.
How it works: The initial system will have a camera that can be mounted in either a van’s cargo area or on a pickup facing the bed and will make use of existing sensors, too, including acoustic sensors, onboard cameras, radar, LTE and GPS.
- The system will trigger an alert if it detects criminal activity, like the sound of breaking glass, or someone checking to see if the vehicle is locked.
- Canopy says the AI will be able to distinguish between true threats and benign acts — like a cat jumping into a pickup bed or construction noise near a vehicle.
- The app will let customers livestream video from the vehicle, get notified of suspicious activity or review past events.
- For an extra subscription price, ADT's professional monitoring service will also call the police when necessary.