Ford Will Have Fully Autonomous Cars without Gas Pedals, Brakes, or Steering Wheels by 2021
While Ford has been testing autonomous vehicles for quite a while, the company just dropped some huge news that will change the transportation world, and the world in general. At yesterday’s press conference in Palo Alto, California, the automotive giant announced that a fully autonomous vehicle for ride-hailing/ride sharing will be mass produced by 2021. (That’s only 5 years away!)
“The next decade will be defined by automation of the automobile, and we see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford’s moving assembly line did 100 years ago,” said Ford President and CEO Mark Fields at the press conference. “We’re dedicated to putting on the road an autonomous vehicle that can improve safety and solve social and environmental challenges for millions of people – not just those who can afford luxury vehicle,” he continued.
The vehicles will not have gas pedals, brakes, or steering wheels, making them level 4 (the highest rating, no driver required) on NHTSA’s scale describing autonomous functionality. These vehicles are not for consumers, those models will come a few years after the 2021 ride sharing fleets are launched.
Ford also plans to triple its autonomous test fleet to 30 Fusion Hybrid Sedans, and will triple it again next year. The company currently tests vehicles in California, Arizona and Michigan.
The automaker is no stranger to the autonomous world. Remember, it was the first company to demonstrate autonomous vehicles in the snow and test autonomous vehicles at night.
Four key investments/partnerships are helping Ford deliver these vehicles safety and in a timely fashion.
- Velodyne: The Silicon Valley-based company is the leader in ranging and detection (LiDAR) sensors. Ford has been working will Velodyne for over a decade.
- SAIPS: The Israel-based company was recently acquired by Ford and specializes in the development of algorithmic solutions in video, image and signal processing, deep learning and classification.
- Nirenberg Neuroscience LLC: Nirenberg Neuroscience was founded by neuroscientist Dr. Shelia Nirenberg, who solved the neural code the eye uses to send visual information to the brain. Ford has an exclusive license with the LLC. The company will help bring humanlike intelligence to the learning modules of the driving system by providing functions such as facial and object recognition.
- Civil Maps: The Berkley, California-based company created a groundbreaking 3D mapping technique more efficient than current methods.
The company also announced the addition of two new buildings and 150,000 square feet of lab space to Silicon Valley operations. This expansion will also double their employee population to over 300.
“Our presence in Silicon Valley has been integral to accelerating our learning and deliverables driving Ford Smart Mobility,” said Ford Vice President, Research and Advanced Engineering, Ken Washington at the press conference. “Our goal was to become a member of the community. Today, we are actively working with more than 40 startups, and have developed a strong collaboration with many incubators, allowing us to accelerate development of technologies and services.”
The automaker has all of its (autonomous) ducks in a row: Test more vehicles, partner with the best tech/science companies, and expand research facilities. Time will tell if the public is ready to get into a car without a steering wheel for their morning commute in 5 short years. I know I’m ready.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lITdVxm_hD0
