GPS World

Tag: Ford Motor Co.

  • Geotab and Ford launch integrated telematics solution

    Geotab, an IoT and connected transportation company, now offers the Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles. Integrating Ford vehicle data into the MyGeotab platform gives fleet managers one dedicated portal with powerful tools to process data from vehicles with an embedded modem as well as those which require a third-party device.

    Through this integration, Ford Data Services will securely transfer data from Ford vehicles with a factory installed modem (or Ford Plug-In Modem, where required) to Geotab’s cloud environment, eliminating the need for third-party hardware in Ford vehicles.

    A business unit of Ford Smart Mobility, Ford Commercial Solutions help fleets improve their operational effectiveness by offering OEM-grade data verified by Ford engineers such as fuel use and vehicle health alerts. The Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC), an open platform that securely manages information flow to and from Ford vehicles’ embedded modems, facilitates both new products.

    Simplifying the task of mixed-fleet management, the latest solution from Ford and Geotab provides fleet managers with the ability to oversee their entire fleet in one portal while also presenting the added benefit of access to the Geotab Marketplace, a portfolio of mobile apps, hardware add-ons and software add-ins that enable Geotab customers to further customize their fleet management solution.

    “Ford Data Services provides the ‘Power of Choice’ so that businesses can get manufacturer-grade vehicle information from the telematics provider of their choice, such as Geotab,” said Michelle Moody, director at Ford Commercial Solutions. “With the launch of Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles, fleets are able to access vehicle information such as fuel usage, vehicle health and driver behavior, through the Geotab platform for vehicles with a Ford modem.”

    With the solution, fleet managers can access proprietary Ford-specific data available for all Ford 2020 or newer models in the United States.

    “The Geotab Integrated Solution for Ford Vehicles will allow fleet managers to benefit from the combination of Geotab’s actionable data insights and powerful rules engine with the rich diagnostic data from Ford’s factory-fitted modem,” said Geotab’s Sherry Calkins, Vice President, Strategic Partners. “This means that regardless of whether they are utilizing an embedded or externally installed telematics solution, the entire fleet can be managed from one platform.”

  • Volkswagen, Ford join on self-driving cars

    Photo: Argo AI
    Photo: Argo AI

    In July, Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. provided updates on their development alliance announced in January.

    The automakers plan to collaborate on autonomous vehicles, among other programs. Together, they are investing $2.6 billion in Pittsburgh startup Argo AI, which is developing a self-driving technology platform. Ford first invested in Argo two years ago.

    The investment includes the resources of VW’s Autonomous Intelligent Driving Group (AID), valued at $1.6 billion. AID will become Argo AI’s European operation.

    Volkswagen and Ford hope to achieve a self-driving platform that can be scaled comparatively quickly. Argo AI’s objectives are to

    • build for scale.
    • architect the software to be production quality.
    • have automotive-grade sensors and computers.
    • fully integrate their product with OEMs and automakers.

    A benefit to having the Argo AI system on more vehicles means the AI will obtain data through daily operation, enabling it to grow smarter and better.

    Argo AI has successfully tested its driverless vehicles in five U.S. cities: Pittsburgh, Palo Alto, Detroit, Miami and Washington, D.C.

  • Ford details drone-based vehicle sensor backup

    Ford details drone-based vehicle sensor backup

    Ford has applied for a patent that would send a drone to dock with an autonomous vehicle and act as a surrogate sensor if one of the car’s sensors failed. The UAV then uses its own sensors to guide the car to a repair facility.

    A UAV docks with a car. (Diagram: Ford’s patent application)
    A UAV docks with a car. (Diagram: Ford’s patent application)

    The filing from Ford Global Technologies, a subsidiary that manages and commercializes patents and copyrights, outlines the process.

    Once the vehicle registers a fault in one of its sensors, it uses a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) network to summon the drone, which flies to the vehicle, receives authorization, and then lands atop it. The UAV then serves as a replacement sensor while directing the vehicle to a nearby repair center to fix the car’s sensor.

    Ford developed the technology to aid autonomous vehicles that have lost a critical navigation sensor; autonomous cars use GNSS, short- and long-range radar, lidar, cameras and ultrasound.