Ford has highlighted its latest additions to its test driver roster. Unlike other employees, the newcomer test drivers are robots, and they are trained to replace humans in durability tests that occur in simulated extreme weather conditions. The team even gave them nicknames, Shelby, and Miles.
The Blue Oval has been working with robots for some of its testing procedures for many years now, and in 2013 it claimed it is the first automaker to develop robotic technology to drive cars in on-road and off-road durability testing. Traditionally, people were employed for these roles, and Ford still uses a roster of experienced test drivers for most parts of its testing procedures.
Robots have been employed in one way or another in the automotive industry for decades, and durability testing is one of the key jobs they were designed to perform. Nobody wants to open and close a door thousands of times a day or sit in a seat and get back up just to do it repeatedly, thousands of times in a day, which is why robots have replaced humans for repetitive and strenuous activities.
The latest additions to Ford's roster are deployed in a facility called the Weather Factory, in Köln, Germany. The facility is designed to simulate extreme weather conditions under the same roof, in a repeated manner, and its purpose is to check the durability of various vehicle components in those tests.
Ford can simulate extremely low temperatures, worthy of Siberia, without moving an inch, while also going to another part of the world and simulating the highest temperatures ever recorded in the Sahara Desert.
Some of these tests were previously carried out by humans, and some still are, but these new robots will take care of the repetitive parts of the test procedure for each new model that the Blue Oval will introduce. Despite the addition of these robots, Ford will continue to conduct real-world testing across the world for its prototypes.
The best part about the new robots is their ability to handle high-altitude wind tunnel testing. The latter simulates atmospheric pressure conditions and a cold environment, which is what climbers experience on top of Alpine peaks. While nobody drives in such conditions, vehicles are designed to handle severe conditions, and Ford wants to make sure that all components will still be operational even in extreme conditions.
Traditionally, this type of wind tunnel testing that simulates high altitude involves numerous safety protocols for the test driver, who has an oxygen bottle inside the vehicle and a health monitor, as well as having a paramedic on-site, ready to step in if the driver is feeling unwell. With the new robots, Ford can keep the tests going as long as it needs to, without fear of injury.
Shelby and Miles, the robots nicknamed after Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, can operate at temperatures ranging from –40 degrees centigrade (-40 F) to 80 degrees centigrade (176 F). The robots have "legs" that are meant to press brake and clutch pedals, as well as "arms" that change gear, start the engine, or press other buttons to ensure their correct operation and durability.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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