Future Ford Vehicles Could Get Rock Kick Up Recognition System

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a rock kick up recognition system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on November 9^th, 2023, published on May 15^th, 2025, and assigned serial number 0153737.

The Ford Authority Take

A little over two years ago, Ford published a patent outlining an idea for a vehicle damage identification system, which aimed to determine when an accident has occurred, activate a camera to record the damage, and then send that information to the appropriate party. It’s an interesting idea for certain, but now, this newly published Ford patent takes that idea and makes it a bit more specific by introducing us to an idea for a rock kick up recognition system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.

The idea here is to use sensors that are specially designed to detect when small rocks or gravel might be getting “kicked up” by the vehicle ahead, which is quite common in rural areas or near construction sites. Trouble is, these rocks can also cause chips in a vehicle’s paint and/or windshield, resulting in damage that can cost one quite a bit of money in some cases. Thus, this system would not only detect when rocks are being kicked up, but also, it could communicate with the vehicle in front, or – at the very least – increase the distance between the two vehicles or merge to the other lane automatically to prevent the rocks from hitting the trailing vehicle.

“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”