Ford and Intel joined forces to explore new applications for interior video cameras to further enhance the in-car experience for both driver and passengers. It may sound like it came out of the sci-fi cyberpunk Ghost In the Shell animation movie, but it’s actually a thing of the present, so bear with us a little longer.
Baptized Project Mobii and also known as Mobile Interior Imaging, the curious gizmo uses facial recognition software to offer a more personalized in-vehicle experience, along with better safety and enhanced privacy controls. Further more, a smartphone app lets the driver access the car remotely, allowing him to check if he forgot his house keys or coffee inside the car.
That same mobile phone app also offers the owner of the car the ability to authorize or decline other drivers from operating the vehicle. As simply put as possible, Project Mobii is a technological tour-de-force that explores how video cameras can create more seamless interaction between man and machine.
“Our goal with the Mobii research is to explore how drivers interact with technology in the car and how we can then make that interaction more intuitive and predictive,” declared Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer at Ford Research and Innovation. “The use of interior imaging is purely research at this point; however, the insights we’ve gained will help us shape the customer experience in the long-term.”
You want a practical example of how Mobile Interior Imaging technology can aid your driving experience? Project Mobii authenticates the rightful owner of the vehicle through a front-facing camera. If the software doesn’t recognize the driver as the rightful owner, it immediately sends a picture of the ‘intruder’ to the primary vehicle owner’s smartphone. Scroll down and press play to find out how Project Mobii works in real life situations.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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