Ford creates a self-braking shopping trolley

When it comes to raising the blood pressure, for parents, the weekly shop is right up there with getting the kids to bed and meal times.

And while toddler meltdowns and trips to the sweet aisle are trying, few moments can be more worrying than seeing your child career off at high speed on a supermarket trolley.

Now Ford has come up with a way of taking the stress out of even that situation - taking inspiration from the means by which new car technology helps drivers to avoid accidents on the road.

Available in most Ford models, Pre-Collison Assist technology uses a forward-facing camera and radar to detect vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in the road, and automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not respond to warnings.

The 'Self-Braking Trolley' uses a sensor to achieve a similar outcome - to scan ahead for people and objects and automatically apply the brakes when a potential collision is detected.

Just a prototype for the time being, 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.