Ford has announced its intent to have a high-volume, fully autonomous vehicle in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service.

Ford also notes that it is investing in, or collaborating with, four technology startups to enhance its programme of autonomous vehicle development.

“The next decade will be defined by automation of the automobile, and we see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford’s moving assembly line did 100 years ago,” says Ford president and CEO Mark Fields.

“We are dedicated to putting on the road an autonomous vehicle that can improve safety and solve social and environmental challenges for millions of people – not just those who can afford luxury vehicles.”

Autonomous vehicles in 2021 form part of Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in autonomous vehicles, as well as in connectivity, mobility, the customer experience, and data and analytics.

The US manufacturer says its first fully autonomous vehicle will be a vehicle without a steering wheel or accelerator and brake pedals.

It is being specifically designed for commercial mobility services, such as ride sharing and ride hailing, and will be available in high volumes. 

“Ford has been developing and testing autonomous vehicles for more than ten years,” says Ford executive VP global product development and chief technical officer Raj Nair.

“We have a strategic advantage because of our ability to combine software and sensing technology with the sophisticated engineering necessary to manufacture high-quality vehicles. That is what it takes to make autonomous vehicles a reality for millions of people around the world.”

This year, Ford will triple its autonomous vehicle test fleet to 30 self-driving Fusion Hybrid sedans, with these vehicles active in California, Arizona and Michigan.

The development programme will see the fleet triple again next year.

Four Key Investments
To enable the delivery of an autonomous vehicle in 2021, Ford has announced four investments and collaborations to expand its research in advanced algorithms, three-dimensional (3D) mapping, LiDAR (a detection system that works on the principle of radar, but uses light from a laser), and radar and camera sensors.

Ford has invested in Velodyne, a Silicon Valley-based specialist in LiDAR sensors. The aim is to quickly mass-produce a more affordable automotive LiDAR sensor.

Ford has a long-standing relationship with Velodyne, and was among the first to use LiDAR for high-resolution mapping and autonomous driving.

Ford has also acquired the Israel-based computer vision and machine learning company, SAIPS, to further strengthen its expertise in artificial intelligence.

SAIPS has developed algorithmic solutions in image and video processing, deep learning, signal processing and classification. This expertise will help Ford autonomous vehicles learn and adapt to their surroundings.

Ford has also invested in California-based Civil Maps to further develop its high-resolution 3D mapping capabilities.

Civil Maps has pioneered a 3D mapping technique that it says is scalable and more efficient than existing processes. This provides Ford another way to develop high-resolution 3D maps of autonomous vehicle environments.

Ford has also signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Nirenberg Neuroscience, a machine vision company founded by neuroscientist Dr Sheila Nirenberg, who cracked the neural code the eye uses to transmit visual information to the brain.

This has led to a powerful machine vision platform for performing navigation, object recognition, facial recognition and other functions, with many potential applications. For example, it is already being applied by Dr Nirenberg to develop a device for restoring sight to patients with degenerative diseases of the retina.

Ford’s partnership with Nirenberg Neuroscience will help bring humanlike intelligence to the machine learning modules of its autonomous vehicle virtual driver system.

Silicon Valley Expansion
Ford is also expanding its Silicon Valley operations to further aid its automated driving vision, creating a dedicated campus in Palo Alto.

Adding two new buildings and14 000 m2 of work and laboratory space adjacent to the current Research and Innovation Centre, the expanded campus grows the company’s local footprint and supports plans to double the size of the Palo Alto team by the end of 2017.

“Our presence in Silicon Valley has been integral to accelerating our learning and the deliverables driving Ford Smart Mobility,” says Ford VP research and advanced engineering Ken Washington.

“Our goal was to become a member of the community. Today, we are actively working with more than 40 startups, and have developed a strong collaboration with many incubators, allowing us to accelerate development of technologies and services.”

Since the Palo Alto centre opened in 2015, it has become home to more than 130 researchers, engineers and scientists.

The centre is the newest of nearly a dozen Ford global research, innovation, information technology and engineering centres. The expanded Palo Alto campus opens in mid-2017.