Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an off-road drivability guidance system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on November 1st, 2021, published on May 4th, 2023, and assigned serial number 0137304.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has certainly filed its fair share of off-road related patents in recent months, including one for retractable exhaust tips, an EV winch and winch operating method, a deployable trail sight, and an off-road track recommendation system, which foreshadows potential improvements for the just-revealed Bronco Trail App. Now, this newly filed patent keeps that trend going by introducing an idea for an off-road drivability guidance system that may be used in future Ford vehicles.
Off-roading has become incredibly popular in recent years, and with more rugged, capable vehicles available than arguably ever before, plenty of people with no experience in such endeavors are hitting the trails. Problem is, these types of surfaces can vary greatly – even from day to day, depending on the weather – and in many cases, can prove quite challenging, even for more experienced off-roaders.
Thus, this patent aims to make traversing trails a bit easier by providing guidance about those surfaces in real-time, using sensors and cameras to evaluate the driving surface ahead and combine that with weather data and other information. Additionally, the system could potentially use data collected from other vehicles that have traveled along the same path to provide guidance as well.
Such a system makes a lot of sense are more and more people are hitting the trails, many with little to no experience. As many of us are well aware, part of the fun of off-roading is the uncertainty of it all, as we encounter conditions and obstacles that we must figure out how to cross without getting stuck or damaging our vehicles. As such, this system could very well make it to production at some point in the future.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford patent news, Ford business news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
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