- ford announced it's teaming with the adt security company in a new joint venture that will offer vehicle security systems as an aftermarket product, starting with the f-150 lightning and e-transit.
- called canopy, the new venture will use adt security monitoring technology teamed with video cameras found in ford vehicles.
- in a video clip similar to those used to promote ring doorbell security systems, a would-be thief is scared away by an owner who sees the interloper via cellphone and yells at him.
in 2020, the fbi estimated that auto theft and things stolen out of vehicles cost americans more than $7.4 billion. seeking to improve the security picture, ford announced today that it is teaming up with security firm adt to launch a new joint venture called canopy, which will use adt's monitoring systems and ford's video camera technology to boost in-car security.
ford said the canopy system will use acoustic sensors, onboard cameras, radar, and gps to help stop theft. an onboard camera will point at the pickup's bed or van's cargo area, and the system will use artificial intelligence to recognize and report threats while minimizing false alarms. customers will be able to view a livestream video feed on the canopy app, and potential threats will cause a notification to appear on the owner's smartphone. a two-way audio feature will allow owners to let thieves know they are under surveillance and, hopefully, scare them off. adt's security monitoring team will also be notified if the system sees suspicious activity near the vehicle.
the first canopy systems will be rolled out as an aftermarket accessory for ford’s trucks and vans—including the new electric f-150 lightning and e-transit—that owners will be able to easily install starting early next year. canopy also aims to integrate camera security systems in ford vehicles starting next year, and will eventually try to integrate the technology into vehicles from other manufacturers. canopy’s systems will be sold through dealerships, major retailers, and online. in the meantime, the new canopy venture is running a waiting list, as seems to be the trend these days for new automotive products.