Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an adjustable suspension and exhaust system designed to accommodate passengers that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on June 2nd, 2022, published on August 6th, 2024, and assigned serial number 12054163.
The Ford Authority Take
In the past few months, Ford has filed a pair of patents aimed at helping parents with young children – one, outlining an idea for an audio-based baby calming system, and another, for a child assistance system that would be able to determine when there’s a child present in the vehicle, and then listen for predetermined behavior, after which it would provide feedback to the child in various forms. Now, this newly-filed patent presents us with an idea for an adjustable suspension and exhaust system designed to accommodate younger passengers that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
As Ford points out in this patent filing, infants and young children tend to become irritable when they aren’t being given attention or fed, which can cause them to cry or otherwise distract the driver. Thus, the automaker proposes this system as a way to comfort or entertain the child by monitoring their facial expressions and even making adjustments to an engine’s exhaust in a way that it would calm the child.
This sounds a bit odd, but Ford notes that reducing the volume of exhaust noise or lowering the volume of artificial sounds could have a calming effect on children, which is also the case of softer suspension settings, something this system would be able to adjust as well. This may even help the child fall asleep, lessening the burden – and potential stress – on the vehicle’s driver and the child’s parents.
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 non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
“by monitoring their facial expressions” Is Ford purposefully trying to go full-on creepster? Who the heck would buy any vehicle that monitors their kids’ faces?
I wouldn’t
Wish they would stick to making best never recalled cars and trucks and give these engineers real jobs. Instead of coming up with ridiculous stuff constantly.
Personally, I’m really tired of useless technology being included, just because “look what we can do and aren’t we smart?” My Maverick has a worthless display in the center of the instruments to tell me everyone has their seat belt fastened. As if the audible alarm and flashing red light isn’t enough! This is totally unnecessary and really annoying.