- Ford employees are driving innovation
in every part of the business at a record pace; the number of
individual Ford employees inventing has reached record levels and
the number of total Ford inventions is expected to set an annual
record in 2016
- Through August of this year, more than
4,500 Ford employees have already submitted invention disclosures,
with nearly 1,700 of them first-time inventors; since the beginning
of 2015, more than 3,500 first-time inventors have submitted
innovations
- Three recent Ford innovations include a
prototype car that collects condensation from vehicle air
conditioners, then filters and pumps it inside the cabin; a
passenger-centric, remote-controlled SYNC® system that could give
ride-sharing passengers control of the infotainment screen; and a
transportable robotic device that can move people and objects short
distances where cars aren’t accessible
When Doug Martin read about a billboard in Lima, Peru, that
turned humidity into drinking water for the local population, an
innovative idea struck: What if cars could be a source of
water?
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Ford employees are driving innovation in
every part of the business at a record pace; the number of
individual Ford employees inventing has reached record levels and
the number of total Ford inventions is expected to set an annual
record in 2016. Above, is a prototype car that collects
condensation from vehicle air conditioners, then filters and pumps
it inside the cabin. (Photo: Business Wire)
Condensation from vehicle air conditioners, which usually just
drips to the pavement below, could be used in much the same way.
Martin worked with colleague John Rollinger to bring the idea to
life, creating a prototype system that collects, filters and pumps
the condensation directly to a faucet located inside the car.
Martin and Rollinger’s innovation is one of a growing number of
inventions created by Ford employees in recent years. The increase
in innovation – as measured by invention disclosures – is expected
to reach a company record in 2016, topping last year’s record of
more than 6,000.
The number of inventions isn’t the only figure increasing at
Ford; the number of individual Ford employees creating inventions
has reached record levels since the start of 2015, with more than
3,500 first-time inventors submitting new innovations.
“The significant increase in first-time inventors is a result of
our push to drive innovation in all parts of our business,” said
Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, product development, and
chief technical officer. “At the same time, we’ve ramped up global
innovation challenges, where we seek new ideas company-wide and
then – coupled with input from employees – see how we can further
those ideas.”
Ford innovations highlighted today at the company’s annual
Further with Ford trends conference include a passenger-centric,
remote-control SYNC® system that could give ride-sharing passengers
control of the infotainment screen; and a transportable device that
can move people and objects short distances where cars aren’t
accessible.
On-the-go H2O
Martin’s idea to turn cars into a source of water boils down to
the reality that fresh water is a scarce resource.
“All that water going to waste should be recovered to serve a
purpose,” said Martin. “The real vision is that this idea could
eventually help people who don’t have easy access to water, in
remote locations such as the Australian Outback, for example. I’m
trying to make my twin daughters proud, and make the world a better
place for them.”
To test his idea, Martin discovered that a car can produce more
than 64 ounces of water per hour, the equivalent of nearly four
water bottles. Naturally, this means fewer roadside stops to pick
up bottled water on a road trip, a nice convenience, along with
fewer plastic bottles filling trash heaps. But the benefits extend
much further, potentially curbing the global water crisis, which,
according to the World Health Organization, affects one in 10
people and leaves hundreds of millions without clean drinking
water.
Innovation comes easily to Martin, a Ford powertrain controls
engineer who holds roughly 70 auto-related patents. After
graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical
engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he came
to work for Ford. He’s been with the company for a combined 22
years.
This Ford innovator envisions a day in which people might say,
“I can’t believe we used to waste all that water.”
Phone as car
How can we empower the passenger in a ride-sharing service, who
typically has little control over the journey?
For Ford’s Oleg Gusikhin, Omar Makke and Jeff Yeung, the
challenge could be easily addressed from their experience working
with Ford SYNC. “By rethinking mobile connectivity from the
passenger’s perspective, we saw how we can use smartphones to give
riders control through SYNC without the need to be directly paired
via Bluetooth,” said Gusikhin.
Ultimately, this thinking spawned a new software invention –
SYNC Remote Control. With the support of Ford’s Perry MacNeille and
Jack Van Hoecke, the idea evolved in a matter of months into a
remote function that allows passengers to control SYNC features
like radio and climate settings.
When a passenger gets into a ride-sharing car, he or she taps a
mobile device that automatically opens an app interface that gives
him or her control of the radio and climate. Eventually, any
controllable feature, like the passenger seat and more, could be
added. It works, because it uses open-source software to connect
the rider’s phone to SYNC through the driver’s phone – without
additional pairing. The software includes a translation feature,
for when driver and rider don’t speak the same language. The rider
simply types what he or she wants to say into the phone, and SYNC
conveys it in the language of the driver.
These features, which help make the ride more enjoyable, hold
immense potential for a future of ride-sharing services –
especially for fully autonomous vehicles where there is no
driver.
You don’t have to talk long to Gusikhin, Makke, Yeung and the
support team to tell they’re as excited as anyone about a future in
which the smartphone becomes the main way to not only order, but
also manage, your ride. Effectively, your smartphone becomes your
car, helping personalize and control your journey in a way that’s
familiar to you.
Carr-E
Kilian Vas, a Ford systems engineer in Cologne, Germany, knows
that last part of any urban commute can be tricky. You’ve just
stepped off the train, or drove into and parked in the city, and
you still need to walk or bike to your destination.
So when Ford issues an innovation challenge for a device to help
people handle city life and get around town, the forward-thinking
Vas couldn’t help but answer. For many, his innovation – a
four-wheeled electric pedestrian assistant called Carr-E – is a
welcome alternative to getting around the city.
Carr-E’s multipurpose functionality separates it from other
electric personal transportation devices. In addition to carrying
riders, Carr-E can be used to transport heavy objects. Users simply
place the object on the device and it will follow an electronic
transmitter they keep in their possession.
Vas was inspired to create the device’s compact, circular design
when he noticed the empty space inside the spare wheel well of his
car. Commuters can easily store it in a vehicle, then pull it out
and use it in places where cars aren’t permitted or practical.
“Innovation is really important for me,” said Vas, who
collaborated with colleagues Daniel Hari and Dr. Uwe Wagner, and
worked with designers from Ford of Europe and prototyping
specialists from RWTH Aachen University to create Carr-E. “I was
inspired by Ford’s expansion into both an auto and a mobility
company, as well as our founder Henry Ford’s dedication to
transforming transportation.”
Vas has been innovating since coming to Ford three years ago
with a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering and a master’s
in mechanical engineering, both from the University of Applied
Science Dortmund. His first innovation at Ford, a head restraint
that folds to allow space for a child seat and has foldable wings
for napping, was patented.
Ultimately, Vas sees Carr-E as one of many solutions for the
advanced transportation ecosystem evolving in city centers
globally.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company
based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 203,000 employees and 67
plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing,
manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line of
Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as
Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford aggressively is
pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the
company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous
vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics. The
company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit
Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products
worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company,
visit www.corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and
high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.
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Ford Motor CompanyAlan Hall313.337.9618ahall32@ford.com
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