Car manufacturers are always looking for new ways to implement their autonomous vehicle tech. Nissan, for example, has self-parking slippers.
Well, now it’s Ford’s turn. The Blue Oval has decided that the computers that control its cars need to go into the bedroom to solve an age-old problem: sleeping with the selfish.
According to Ford’s cited research, a quarter of people in relationships sleep better on their own than with their partner. This is down to people moving around in their sleep, stealing more than their share of the duvet and indeed the mattress itself. The slightest touch from a bed-hog is enough to rouse many of us from the deep sleep we need.
It’s got to be a big enough problem that some couples have a “sleep divorce” — with separate beds for each person. Interrupted sleep is well-known as a risk factor for accidents too. Since autonomous tech in cars is all about reducing and eliminating accidents, Ford reasoned it should apply it to solve the problem.
Meet Ford’s Lane-Keeping Bed. It takes inspiration from an ordinary lane-keeping assist system you’ll find in most cars now. These detect when a driver is straying from their lane and nudges the steering wheel to move them back the right path.
The Lane-Keeping Bed applies similar ideas. Instead of cameras monitoring the road ahead, the bed uses pressure sensors to monitor loading. If someone moves too far over, an integrated conveyor belt system moves them back into place.
Ford plans a series of “Interventions” similar to the bed — where it applies car tech to every day problems. Still, we’d love to know how to apply fitted sheets to a revolving mattress.
You can watch the bed in action below:
https://youtu.be/yfSYjbODGUc
See more articles on Autonomous Tech and Ford.
