Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an obstacle detection system that may be used in future Ford off-road vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on September 23rd, 2022, published on March 28th, 2024, and assigned serial number 0104925.
The Ford Authority Take
With off-roading – and off-road-focused vehicles – becoming more and more popular, Ford has filed quite a few patents pertaining to that specific activity as of late. That list includes filings for an adaptive off-road feature control model, as well as an off-road track recommendation system, while the relatively new Bronco Trail App contains around 1,200 off-road trail maps that have been professionally curated for owners. Now, this newly filed patent keeps that trend going by introducing us to an idea for an obstacle detection system that may be used in future Ford off-road vehicles, too.
One of the major components of off-roading in general is tackling various obstacles and different kinds of terrain, which requires a bit of skill in many cases, but oftentimes, drivers find themselves in a something of a predicament after overestimating either their capabilities or their own vehicle’s. Thus, the concept behind this patent revolves around using connected vehicle technology and satellite image data to identify obstacles along a given path, which could certainly come in handy for those heading down specific trails.
The system could then inform other drivers in the area of those obstacles, even displaying them on a vehicle’s infotainment screen, making it easier to come up with a strategy – or perhaps even change course, depending on how difficult that obstacle may be to conquer. It’s an interesting idea for certain – particularly, as Ford mentions in the patent filing, because terrain and obstacles tend to change over time, too.
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Comment
An interesting concept if you do a lot of off roading in remote areas.