Google and Ford have teamed up, with Ford to conduct a feasibility study that will use Google's new Prediction API to create cars that can optimise fuel economy and efficiency and predict routes based on driver habits i.e. use Google's strength in algorithms to use historical data for predictive purposes.
Ford’s announcement signals that in-car technology is moving beyond infotainment to more complicated tasks. The tie-up with Google highlights how algorithms that connect public and private data will be needed to enhance the driver experience.
Ford sees it working something like this:
- Vehicle owner opts into the predictive service and driver data is collected and encrypted. The system learns over time and all data is encrypted for privacy and security.
- When the car is started Google Prediction will use history to optimize routes and performance based on location and time of day.
- The car via voice recognition would confirm its predictions based on input from the driver.
Clever.
