The creative minds at Ford visualize a time when drones will offer life-saving applications, as the unmanned machines easily take off from and land on the backs of moving F-150 trucks to assist in emergencies.
#F150 and drones could be a huge step forward for first responders. See how. https://t.co/uyEukMpvOx
— Ford Trucks (@FordTrucks) December 19, 2016
While drones are delivering stunning aerial photography, and soon they’ll also be delivering our online purchases, Ford is looking to uses that may provide invaluable assistance for first responders. That’s why Ford is championing a Developer Challenge created by drone manufacturer DJI that is focused on creating a system that can be used in emergency areas and features such functions as finding survivors and autonomous takeoffs and landings. Patrick Ellis, a connected vehicle systems technical expert at the Ford Research and Innovation Center in Palo Alto, stated, “The idea is that the drone can be used to scout out a disaster area and help first responders and rescuers understand the lay of the land.”
Entrants are tasked with using the SYNC AppLink to enable launching and recovering drones by tapping the SYNC3 touch screen. Though the competition is geared to a very specific scenario, the immense potential of vehicle-to-drone communication is abundantly clear; we might soon see situations where police officers could scout a potential crime scene and ensure that it’s safe prior to entering, or construction crews may use the technology to survey a building site.
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