Engineering On The Edge

Those of us who grew up watching The Jetsons have long been asking the question: Where are the flying cars? While the multicopter is in prototype, it still doesn’t look like we’re going to be flying cars around any time soon, but based on the technology Ford Motor Company recently showed off in its Evos concept car, they may at least be heading to the cloud.

The Evos (which made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show over the summer) is an electric hybrid with gull-wing doors (like the old DeLorean) that is connected to the Internet and could be capable of enabling all sorts of useful new applications thanks to a combination of wireless connectivity and cloud computing services. It also incorporates drivetrain improvements and physical design tweaks that will slowly work their way into mainstream Ford designs over the next few years.

The car could access traffic and weather information, along with a copy of your work calendar in order to map out an efficient driving route, and even determine when you should wake up, then send a message to your alarm clock. It can automatically program your radio to play whatever you were listening to inside house or on your computer before you leave home. It can even send messages to the control systems in your house to turn down the thermostat or close the garage door. Continue reading →