A new Ford patent could leverage technology to avoid impacts when the car is parked. Sensors would combine AI computing and autonomous vehicle features to move the car. At this stage, it could end up coming to production, but that’s not assured. As safe as one might drive, they can’t control what happens to their car when they’re away from it. If Ford gets its way, its future cars will have the ability to detect incoming harm and then move out of the way. A new patent around the tech highlights how it would work, and most of the hardware and software already exist. Whether or not we see this feature make it to production is another story altogether. More: Porsche’s New Patent Turns Racing Stripes Into A Battery Gauge The newly published patent application (US12617393B2) describes a “System for Detecting Moving Objects” designed to monitor threats around a parked vehicle. That could include everything from a runaway shopping cart to another driver backing up too quickly or even a vehicle sliding across an icy parking lot. USPTO / Ford Using external cameras, sensors, and onboard software, the system would continuously track nearby objects and calculate whether they’re on a collision course. If the vehicle determines an impact could happen, it may first try to warn the approaching person or object by flashing lights, honking the horn, or sending other alerts. This is, of course, assuming that there’s enough time for all of this to happen before a collision. Here’s where the idea gets especially futuristic though. If the system decides the impact can’t be avoided conventionally and there’s enough room nearby, the parked vehicle could autonomously reposition itself to another spot entirely. Ford’s patent essentially extends active safety systems into moments when nobody is inside the car at all. If there’s no way to avoid a collision altogether, the system could use cameras to record the incident. USPTO / Ford Importantly, there’s no way to know if this will make its way into production. A Ford spokesperson told Ford Authority that “submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property.” “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans,” the spokesperson added. “No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.” So we might see this tech come to fruition, but even if it does, don’t expect it anytime soon. For now, you’ll have to protect your own car from shopping carts or any other danger that may threaten it. USPTO / Ford