Hi-Tech
Forward with Ford
DEARBORN, Michigan – A 2011 study by Maritz Research found that 42% of consumers surveyed said fuel economy is an “extremely important” factor when shopping for a new vehicle. More than a third (37%) considers it the “most important” factor, with Millennials placing the highest emphasis on it (46%).
For many, compared to a decade ago, fuel economy has leaped and bounded to the top of the priority list. In 2010, Ford launched nine new engines and six new fuel-saving six-speed transmissions across Ford and Lincoln; and, plans to bring the 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder engine to North America along with a new eight-speed automatic transmission.
For some, the idea of more ethical consumption is driving the desire for higher-mpg vehicles. Ford’s answer to this has been (and will continue to be) the electrification of its line-up; the Transit Connect and Focus Electric, as well as the C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid coming next year, offer plenty of choice for consumers looking for vehicles that support their ethical beliefs whilst meeting their driving needs.
Safety is another area where there’s been much progress at Ford. In fact, the inflatable rear safety belts (available in the new Explorer) have been in development for over a decade. A strap of air bag material is hidden in the seat belt webbing. When frontal air bags deploy, the strap inflates to a cylindrical shape that helps distribute forces from a vehicle crash over a broader section of the body (compared to traditional safety belts) to reduce pressures on the chest and to control motion of the head and neck better.
Ford engineers have even created research tools to better understand the human body and the vehicle needs of consumers to enhance future safety research. This includes developing the world’s first digital child crash test dummies (boasting a more life-like skeleton, internal sensor-monitored organs, brain) to study abdominal injuries common among young occupants; as well as the “empathy belly” (a 14-kilogram weighted garment that simulates later-term pregnancy) that has already led to changes in seat design and rear hatch operation.
In-car technologies are being improved too. From simple things like making screen fonts larger and easier to read on in-car displays and gauges, to more complex tasks like voice recognition and telematics convergence, this promises to be an area of rapid innovation moving forward with Ford.
Since its 2007 launch, Sync has been continuously improved. Nuance Communications, Ford’s voice technology partner, is as the forefront of things. It’s testing a number of new algorithms, based on intent and meaning, for the voice recognition system in Sync. The current Sync voice system understands more than 10,000 first-level commands (up from just 100 on the first-gen system) to provide a more natural, intuitive experience, even for first time users. And, with Sync installed in more than three million vehicles worldwide, there won’t be a shortage of things you’ll be able to do with it.
For starters, Sync AppLink will be factory-installed on 10 vehicles for 2012, giving users industry-exclusive hands-free voice control capability over certain smartphone apps for Apple iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices using Bluetooth or USB. Canada won’t initially get AppLink until some CRTC issues and bilingual translation requirements are sorted out.
Vehicle Health Report and 911 Assist are examples of built-in Ford-developed Sync apps. These can be loaded and/or updated via the USB port. In early 2009, Ford created the Service Delivery Network (SDN), a plug-and-play architecture connecting six data centres for real-time information and leveraging a customer’s Bluetooth-paired mobile phone for data-over-voice exchanges, thus adding “beamed-in” to the Sync ecosystem. Customers with the Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI) Services app can access real-time turn-by-turn directions, traffic reports, business searches, and favourite news, sports and weather without the need for a full on-board navigation system. New services can simply be plugged into the SDN (as they become available) to instantly add new features and capabilities.
Finally, leveraging the Sync API, mobile apps on a user’s smartphone can be enabled for control by Sync via AppLink - anything from tweeting your location or tuning into internet radio stations, to accessing your personalized news, talk shows or podcasts from the driver’s seat.
The sky is the limit, but health and wellness monitoring is an area Ford thinks begets more research. From seats with integrated heart monitoring technology (, to continuous glucose monitoring thanks to Medtronic Bluetooth-enabled devices, to using the “Cloud” to pull local pollen/air quality reports from, it seems the sky is the only limit for apps.
The most interesting tech feature has to be the vehicles that talk to one another - not like in Disney Pixar’s Cars movies, but, rather “intelligent vehicles” that can wirelessly talk to each other using advanced Wi-Fi signals, or dedicated short-range communications.
Equipped vehicles can warn drivers of potential dangers at intersections, when pulling out to pass and, when not helping avoid imminent collisions, even traffic or collision information to roadside communication units, so others can be rerouted to save fuel and time.
The U.S. National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) believes this system has the potential to eliminate 82% of vehicle-to-vehicle collisions, and Ford is partnering with other automakers, governments and local and country road commissions to create a common language that ensures all cars can talk to each other based on a common communications standard that will become mandatory in vehicles sold in the U.S. within two years, and will start showing up in cars in the 2019-2020 model years.
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