Why Ford Made a Man Dress as a Car Seat

WESTLAND, Mich.,–– Andy Schaudt, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute researcher, has spent this past August dressed as a car seat. Yes, you read that correctly. Shaudt, along with several other Virginia Tech researchers, has been commissioned by Ford to help test their new driverless vehicles. He spent his summer in Arlington, dressed in a car seat costume, observing the reactions of other drivers and making sure Ford's autonomous vehicles are able to run efficiently. Find out why Ford made this man dress as a car seat and discover how close we really are to the future of self-driving cars.

Andy Shaudt and other drivers had the chance to give these autonomous vehicles a firsthand look, driving over 1,800 miles and collecting over 150 hours of 360-degree video from cameras mounted on their Ford Transit vans. Ford's goal with this testing and research is to employ "standard visual language" to allow driverless vehicles to communicate with other drivers. Autonomous vehicles will be equipped with a bar of flashing white lights on the windshield to indicate acceleration, yielding, and braking while the vehicles drive. These lights will help other drivers spot autonomous vehicles to help them differentiate between driverless vehicles and regular drivers on the road.

"The Virginia experiment was the brainchild of Ford engineer John Shutko, who has been pushing the idea of the light bar with colleagues from other car companies around the world. He said Ford doesn’t see a competitive advantage in the research but instead wants to share its findings as a way to improve safety and get people more comfortable with driverless vehicles.

Duke robotics expert Missy Cummings — who has raised safety concerns about a hasty driverless rollout — applauded the idea of publicly identifying the vehicles. “I want them painted flashy hot pink or something really obvious, so I know and can give them due deference,” she said." - The Washington Post

While we still have a few years of testing and research until self-driving vehicles are available to the public, the technology may become available sooner than we think! Check up on our blog regularly to find updates on Ford news, new vehicle offers, vehicle brochures, and much more. Now that you know why Ford made a man dress as a car seat, you can expect to see several other self-driving Ford vehicles driving around large urban areas like Detroit. If you're interested in getting a closer look at the Ford vehicles the researchers tested, take a look at our model lineup to view the Transit and other Ford models featured in the video above! Check in with our manufacturer and regional incentives frequently to find discounts on Ford vehicles, service, and more! We hope to see you soon at North Brothers Ford!

North Brothers Ford is located at 33300 Ford Rd Westland, MI 48185 and proudly serves as one of the premier dealerships in Metro Detroit, and is committed to exceptional customer service! Stop by or give us a call at 888-806-7163, our knowledgeable and helpful sales team will be more than happy to assist you!

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