Ford Using Robot Test Drivers at Weather Factory
Photo: Ford
Robots are coming for all of our jobs, and Ford is giving them the keys and putting them in the driver’s seat — literally. At Ford’s Weather Factory in Cologne, Germany, a pair of robot test drivers are doing arduous work that should be reserved for human flesh.
Speaking of Human Flesh: The 2021 Ford Bronco is enough to give you goosebumps
The two robots allow Ford engineers to test out vehicles in extreme temperatures, altitudes, and conditions. They can continue to function at temperatures between minus 40 degrees and 167 degrees and at altitudes comparable to the highest mountain ranges.
Watch: Ford’s new robot test drivers do their thing
These robots never tire. They never need rest. They never need to stop. They are out there. They can’t be bargained with. They can’t be reasoned with. They don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until they have finished test-driving Ford vehicles.
The team at the Ford Weather Factory have affectionately named the duo Shelby and Miles (which are better names than, say, Robutt). The reference to Ford legends Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles is curious given how little those two have in common with the robot test drivers. Namely, Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles were not robots.
Photo: Ford
“These two new drivers are fantastic additions to the team, as they can take on the challenging endurance tests at high altitudes and in hot temperatures,” said Ford of Europe Wind Tunnel Testing Supervisor Frank Seelig. “Once the robot is in the driver’s seat, we can run tests through the night without ever having to worry that the driver will need a sandwich or a bathroom break.”
Sure, you chuckle at his blithe comment about sandwiches and bathrooms, but what will this mean for human beings around the world? Will robots replace humans in every job? What about service animals? Will there one day be a robot CEO who funnels an obscene amount of profit into his robot coffers by exploiting the robot working class? We can only imagine it all and tremble with fear.
A Battle for the Ages: How the 2021 Ford F-150 stacks up against the new Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.