Ford's "Further with Ford" event was two days of discussing industry trends and the company's vision for the future. But they also shared some unique ideas that their engineers have been working on that are a little further out of the box than your normal new-car announcements.
The first was a built-in water dispenser. Dubbed On-the-go H20 by powertrain engineer and inventor Doug Martin, the system recaptures the water that results from the car's air conditioning system. Inspired by a billboard in Peru that turned airborne humidity into drinking water for locals, Martin came up with the idea with some interesting prototyping. The initial version uses a roasting pan "borrowed" from his kitchen to catch the water under the car where it is filtered and pumped to a dispenser near the cup holder.
The system can collect nearly two litres of water per hour, depending on conditions, and is completely safe to drink. The idea can also be expanded to collect the water occurring in the car's exhaust, allowing the system to provide even more clean water. While the feature would be convenient for anyone taking a trip on a hot day, Martin proposed that the system is a way to provide drinking water to remote or developing areas where water is not otherwise available.
The next idea came from a hot and confusing taxi ride in Beijing. Oleg Gusikhin, technical leader, advanced connected services, couldn't communicate to the driver that he needed some cool air. Even without a language barrier, having a driver find the right temperature, or right radio station, can be a challenge. So Oleg developed an app called Phone as Car that would allow the passenger to use their phone to set the climate control and entertainment system to their choice. With existing ride-sharing services already requiring the driver and passenger to be using apps, this system integration is not too far away.
To further help communication, the app features a real-time translation function that can take your written message and read it to the driver in their own language using the Ford Sync infotainment system. It works both ways, and can send the spoken reply back to your phone.
The third innovation just might be the droid you are looking for. It is a robotic hoverboard-style device that can store in the spare tire well, but then transport up to 115 kg of cargo for up to 23 km at 18 km/h. The purpose was a convenient way to get you and your cargo the "last mile". That's the distance from where you park your car (often far from home in major cities), or where you meet mass transit, to your front door.
Carr-E (pronounced carry) was developed by systems engineer Kilian Vas, and contains sensors that will allow it to navigate using a remote control, or can be set to simply follow your walk home. There are sensors to ensure it won't bump into anything, and the device will sound an alarm if the cargo is tampered with.
Finally, at an event later that evening, Ford announced that they would be collaborating with Harman to add B&O Play audio systems to models beginning next year. The systems will be developed by the sub-brand of Danish audio company Bang & Olufsen with unique speaker placements and tuning that Ford claims will ensure "optimal sound is maintained in the cabin no matter what driving conditions are like", and will be provide this quality for all seating positions. B&O Play will be replacing the Sony branded systems Ford is currently using.
