What could possibly go wrong?
Ford has filed what has to be the most controversial patent of the year so far, which shows tech that allows a driver to stand up in their convertible off-roader and drive the car using a secondary set of controls. CarBuzz discovered the patent at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Ford mentions a convertible off-roader, so it's obviously talking about the Bronco. The patent rightfully states that certain scenarios in off-roading require the driver to stand up or lean out of the car to ensure their safety and the vehicle's safety. If you've ever been off-roading, you know that visibility is in short supply when climbing over boulders. Sometimes, it's easier to lean out of the car to see how much clearance you have left. Or to stand up and keep a close eye on the chosen line.
In these cases, the driver can easily lose access to primary controls like the throttle or brakes.
CarBuzz/United States Patent and Trademark Office United States Patent and Trademark Office
Ford also mentions specific driver assist features being shut down when the driver isn't detected in their seat. These include shift-to-park for secure idling, hill park assist, traffic jam assist, and trail control. These are just a few examples of deactivated functions if a person were to drive the current Bronco while standing up.
To get around this problem, Ford proposes a new driver detection system that's more advanced than a sensor in the seat. Ford says it can detect a driving zone wherein the driver can operate using cameras, LiDAR, ultra-wideband radar, phone-as-a-key, or proximity sensors. It can be as simple as detecting the driver's face using an instrument cluster-mounted camera. The main aim here is to ensure that there is a driver within the 'driving zone' so the safety and assistance features mentioned above aren't shut down.
Being in the driving zone allows the driver access to a secondary vehicle control system for special use cases. This is the leaning and standing up we mentioned earlier.
United States Patent and Trademark Office
To ensure at least a modicum of safety, Ford states that this system can only be used within clearly defined boundaries, so no high-speed drifting while standing up in your Braptor. Ford explicitly mentions limiting acceleration, noting 3 mph as a baseline. We're talking extremely slow-speed off-roading. The system would likely also use metrics like incline, pitch, and how many wheels are in the air. We see this as an additional driving mode, most likely incorporated into the GOAT (Go Over Any Thing) off-road driving system, one of the best in the business.
The secondary controls would work with a mix of microsensors to control speed and torque and a primary control like the steering wheel. You could, for example, keep one hand on the top of the steering wheel while feeding the throttle on a touch-sensitive panel on top of the windshield, or they could be worn.
As long as there's a stable connection to the vehicle, these sensors can be placed wherever. As you can tell, these secondary controls' placement has not been decided on yet.
United States Patent and Trademark Office
We're not sold on the idea, but the patent mentions several fail safes to keep a driver from falling out. One example is limiting throttle and braking to keep the vehicle from jerking around. There may also be an indicator to show that the driver is sliding out of place and no longer in control.
There's an argument to be made that Ford may be promoting unsafe driving habits, but then again, it may be making a dangerous driving habit safer. Nothing is stopping a Bronco owner from standing up in his car at the moment. Ardent off-roaders know this to be accurate, just as they know there's an obvious solution to bypassing all of this.
Are you ready for it? All you need to do is take a spotter along. It's one of the most basic off-roading tips there is. Always walk an obstacle, and have a spotter on the outside to keep you on the right track. Never go off-road alone because it's just a bad idea. Otherwise, you'll get very well-versed in off-road recovery tricks.
United States Patent and Trademark Office United States Patent and Trademark Office United States Patent and Trademark Office
Keyword: Ford Wants Bronco Owners To Stand While Driving Off-Road