Ford Rolls Out Drone-To-Vehicle Tech, Developer Challenge at CES 2016

Each year, the Consumer Electronics Show is ground zero for the latest innovations and gadgets both on the market and still in development, and 2016 is proving to be no different. During the Ford keynote Tuesday, we unveiled a collaboration with drone maker DJI to build a drone-to-vehicle communication platform leveraging Ford SYNC AppLink or OpenXC.

As part of the initiative, DJI is hosting a $100,000 developer challenge to build functionality for the proposed drone. While development is still very much in the early stages, Ford envisions the drone as an emergency services tool, as well as a means to boost commercial business efficiency. Potential use cases include a surveying system for use by the United Nations, in addition to applications in agriculture, construction, bridge inspection and more.

“At Ford, we are driving innovation in every part of our business to help make people’s lives better,” said Ken Washington, Ford vice president, Research and Advanced Engineering. “Working with DJI and the United Nations, there is an opportunity to make a big difference with vehicles and drones working together for a common good.”

Ford Drones GIF

To compete in the challenge developers must build software enabling the DJI drone to communicate in real time with a Ford vehicle, namely the F-150. The Ford SYNC 3 touch screen provides an interface enabling drivers to select a target area and launch the drone. Additionally, the system will also tie-in with the driver’s smartphone to upload data captured by the drone directly into the cloud for quick analysis.

While the initial challenge focuses on the UN use case, future applications include practically any work environment that’s difficult or dangerous for humans to access.

The drone initiative falls under the auspices of Ford Smart Mobility, which aims to revolutionize connectivity, mobility and data, while fostering nascent fields like autonomous transportation.