Future Ford Vehicles Could Get Ice Thickness Detection

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an ice thickness detection system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on March 3^rd, 2023, published on June 11^th, 2024, and assigned serial number 12007248.

The Ford Authority Take

In recent months, Ford has filed a number of patents that outline potential ways to help its future off-road-focused vehicles navigate various terrain more easily, including an off-road drivability guidance system, an obstacle detection system, an adaptive off-road feature control model, and a snow and ice warning system, to name just a few. Now, this freshly published patent keeps that trend going by introducing us to a new type of idea – this time, for an ice thickness detection system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.

In certain parts of the world, it isn’t uncommon to see people drive on ice-covered bodies of water in the winter time, whether that be for fishing purposes or various other reasons. In some cases, such practices are used by truck drivers who are delivering items to remote locations, in fact. Of course, driving on ice can be dangerous if it’s too thin and breaks under the weight of a vehicle, which is precisely the problem this patent aims to address.

Here, Ford proposes using sensors to determine the thickness of ice, and notify the driver if it’s able to support the weight of a vehicle without breaking. This process would take place automatically when the vehicle approaches an icy layer, making it a quite convenient and potentially life-saving feature. Though it’s safe to say that not a lot of people drive on icy bodies of water on a regular basis, it’s possible that this feature may come to fruition on a small scale – at least, for those that do.

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