This week, automotive leader Ford Motor Company reportedly filled patents suggesting that the firm is working on AR technology for its upcoming vehicles. As reported by the Ford Authority, the firm filed a United States patent on June 27th, 2022, with the filling published on March 5th, 2024.
The filling shows how Ford is developing an augmented reality-powered weight indicator, which indicates if an area of a circle is overloaded, such as the rear of a pickup truck.
The system aims to make hauling and towing safer and more accessible by leveraging AR to make users more aware of their surroundings and vehicles.
The filling reads that the patented system generates an augmented environment, primarily including a weight indicator for a vehicle shown via an immersive user interface.
In the patent filing, Ford highlights an example use case for the system. The firm explains that the AR system can capture image data through vehicle-based cameras, such as the first location where a user places a heavy object in the car.
Then, the system’s processor circuitry generates the augmented map, which shows the heavy loads in the vehicle and where they are placed.
Ford’s system then relays the image data/augmented map as an interactable user interface showing the correlation of vehicle loads and weights.
Is Ford going to Debut an AR product?
According to reports, Ford’s most recent AR patent is not the first time it has published XR technology within its portfolio.
Ford is working on various AR products that are behind closed doors. The firm has worked on a system to display AR visualisation within a car, using the HoloLens 2 as an example of XR inside a moving vehicle.
The firm is also working on an AR remote park assist feature, an anti-sun glare system, and an AR multi-plane image-generating system.
Honda Enters XR Market
At the upcoming South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in 2024, Honda plans to showcase its unique VR experience platform. The festival is known for showcasing XR customer and enterprise innovations. Honda aims to debut its XR Mobility Experience platform, which combines VR immersive experiences with the company’s UNI-ONE mobility device.
The UNI-ONE is a hand-free mobility device that allows users to move in any direction based on postural movements. Honda believes that the XR platform will increase UNI-ONE’s visibility and provide a new combined technology solution that can be useful in sectors such as theme parks, entertainment, and retail.
The XR Mobility Experience will be available for demo at the Creative Industries Expo during SXSW 2024 for its global debut. In the promotional video, it appears that Honda is using Meta Quest Pro MR headsets.
