CONFIRMED: Ford Working On Patent For Autonomous, Off-road Driving — If This Is Possible, Is This The Nail In The Coffin For Driving As We Know It?

OK, so I've been able to drive a lot of places doing a lot of wacky things. On streets, on track and off road. To me, there's no question that the hardest driving I've ever done has been off road.

This is because there are an innumerable amount of variables that make things difficult to maintain a smooth ride. From slippery surfaces to constantly changing pitch and angles of attack, it's unquestionably the hardest driving one is going to do.

Of course this is assuming you're not trying to scratch or crash your vehicle.

While there's a lot of attention on autonomous vehicles right now, it turns out that Ford's engineers are not only focusing on vehicles that do the work for you on the tarmac. They're also working on a system that will self drive off road as well.

Although I am sure someone will say it's hardest to drive at the track, we've already seen automated systems use GPS, accelerometers and a whole lot of algorithms come together to direct a vehicle to lap a track. That happened YEARS ago.

So, as Bob Lutz has forecasted the END of the automotive industry as we currently know it, this gets me wondering: IF autonomous driving conquers off-road driving, is this the FINAL nail in the coffin for driving as we know it?

Realizing the phrase ‘autonomous’ itself is a challenge to define correctly, Ford has been granted a patent for technology which allows a truck to traverse a stretch of terrain all on its own. Whether this is truly ‘autonomous driving’ is up for debate, one which we will leave to the experts in that field.

Whatever one calls it, this application incorporates a computer processor with access to instructions stored in memory which will allow the vehicle to evaluate a certain environment and, if it deems the situation to be safe, traverse an obstacle while controlling an active suspension system.

In plain English, Ford’s system lets the truck do some of the heavy lifting while on the trail while the driver enjoys a snack. Okay, maybe the driver won’t be wolfing down a burger but this system does have the potential to take over driving duties during tough ‘wheeling maneuvers...

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TheSteve - 11/14/2017 2:48:04 AM

+2 Boost

I'm not an off-roader, but I imagine the fun in off-roading is in doing it yourself, rather than simply getting from "A" to "B" off-road.

skytop - 11/14/2017 3:25:40 AM

+2 Boost

But officer, I wasn't speeding. My darn vehicle did it!

TomM - 11/14/2017 6:27:29 AM

-1 Boost

And you see - that is the problem

YOUR vehicle will NOT be able to do it.
EVENTUALLY - speed limits will be HARD WIRED - and the cars will not be able to surpass them - Once the republican lawmakers find out that cars speed can be controlled from the outside - they will rush to make laws that require a car to be able to receive speed limit information from the signs (Or other possibilities) - and ALL cars will be limited to the speed limit. (Maybe except Police and emergency but that is the case now)

Add in the likely requirement of space between cars - and the need to "normalize" acceleration - and speed through turns - and you end up with cars that are nothing more than Trains - without physical tracks. No need for performance cars - no one will be able to go faster than the lowest common denominator - so speed through a turn will be limited by the worst handling vehicles - for example.

AND IF they find they can also regulate OFF ROAD performance - the last likely to be regulated (Due to quiet enjoyment laws) - there then becomes no reason to actually own a car - and Mr. Lutz's scenario comes to pass (ALthough likely far later into the future than he predicts). Instead - cars will be like trains - you simply order up what you need for today - and pay for that usage.

BUT - it will end the economies of the world as we know them. Since all cars will be so similar - the use of robotics will almost eliminate the need for humans - there will be no need for "styling" and yearly changes in it. THE auto industry will be suffer a major reduction in size - as will the energy industries as well. This will wipe out the middle class - as those types of jobs will disappear

Vette71 - 11/14/2017 9:46:11 AM

-1 Boost

Having lived in 8 different states so far, my experience has been that it's the democrats/progressives who do this kind of stuff, to protect us from ourselves, not the republicans/conservatives. It'll happen first in the blue states.

Like you it won't happen in my lifetime.

dakara0 - 11/14/2017 6:18:51 AM

+3 Boost

Yeah, right

MDarringer - 11/14/2017 8:08:11 AM

+1 Boost

How stupid! Real hardcore off roading is a crawl slowly by inches kind of venture where rocks give away and so on.