Cloud computing sounds great in theory, but in practice, it's sometimes hard to see how it's going to make our lives better. Ford's new Evos concept tries to stuff as much of that that nebulous cloud information into a car as possible, and it definitely makes the cloud-car marriage an attractive one, indeed.
The Evos car itself isn't anything special, really: it's got cool concept car looks, it's got a fancy and be'hyphened lithium-ion plug-in hybrid-electric drive-train, and it sports features you'll never, ever, ever find on a production car. I'm looking at you, quadruple gullwing doors.
Where Ford really hopes to stand out, though, is with the Evos' cloud connectivity. The Evos can recognize different drivers, and it adapts everything it possibly can to the individual behind the wheel, from the handling of the car itself to the GPS routing preferences to waking you up in the morning. Perhaps to exemplify just what's possible with this level of connectedness, Ford has (for better or worse) gone totally overboard:
- It could automatically play the same music or news program that was just streaming at home, or heat or cool the interior to an ideal temperature before the driver gets in without having to be requested by predicting departure time based on his calendar. Wirelessly communicating with devices in the home, it could close the garage door and switch off the lights automatically as it pulls away.
- Learning driver habits and capabilities, the technology can overlay map and weather data sourced from the cloud to adjust powertrain, steering, suspension and braking systems for optimum enjoyment, comfort and safety.
- In dynamic driving situations, the vehicle may simplify the appearance of the instrument panel to display only necessary gauge information and switch the driver's connected smartphone to "Do Not Disturb" mode to help keep the focus of attention on the road.
- The cloud-optimised powertrain would automatically "know" when to save energy and switch modes, using information about the vehicle's predicted travel route, any emission zone restrictions during the journey and current weather conditions.
- The Ford Evos Concept is also equipped with advanced air quality sensors and filtration systems to help allergy sufferers. Location aware, it can access air quality data from the cloud and proactively suggest a healthier route to the destination.
If you're in to this kind of tech, you definitely won't want to miss the video and gallery (but especially the video) below. VIDEOS & PHOTOS
Via Engadget and Autoblog
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