Ford files patent for drones to jump start vehicles with dead batteries

[hridge2020]

DEARBORN, Mich. - For drivers who find themselves stranded with a dead battery and no AAA membership, Ford Motor Co. may be developing technology to help.

The auto manufacturer’s technology subsidiary filed a patent that details technology for drones that could jump start future Ford vehicles – instead of a service truck.


The patent is for a system with a "computer programmed to actuate a plurality of drones to first establish one or more electrical connections there between and then to provide a jump start to a vehicle," according to the filing, which was published on March 28.

It was first filed in April 2017, according to the document.

Future Ford vehicles would be able to transmit a jump start request, which would be received by one or more drones, the patent application details. The drone would navigate to the vehicle’s location, open the hood, establish an electrical connection, and jump the car.

For those who find themselves stranded in particularly rural areas with no jump cable and good Samaritans around to help, the drone could be particularly useful, as noted by Ford Authority, a website offering Ford news and reviews.

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[CyberGus]

Tesla Roadside Assistance should send a Virgin Galactic ship, they're not using them anymore

 

[hridge2020]

SpaceX has extra StarShips -- they can use them to charge Tesla Vehicles.

 

[firsttruck]

SpaceX has extra StarShips -- they can use them to charge Tesla Vehicles.

A Starship having to land and takeoff again is very old-school and very energy inefficient.

Just have Starship non-stop fly by and pickup the stranded vehicle and then drop it at a Tesla Supercharger or Tesla Service location.

In reality the Starship will probably be flying to fast to make this safely possible

But who knows, so often, Elon & the SpaceX/Tesla engineers make the impossible merely late.


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Fictional example
James Bond movie "Thunderball" (1965) example of Fulton surface-to-air recovery system


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Lockheed MC-130 Fulton Surface-To-Air Recovery System The Fulton surface-to-air recovery system (STARS) is a system used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy for retrieving persons on the ground from a MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft. It involves using an overall-type harness and a self-inflating balloon which carries an attached lift line. An MC-130E engages the line with its V-shaped yoke and the individual is reeled on board. Red flags on the lift line guide the pilot during daylight recoveries; lights on the lift line are used for night recoveries. Recovery kits were designed for one and two-man recoveries.
Aug 22, 2008
jaglavaksoldier


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The Fulton surface-to-air recovery system (STARS) is a system used by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United States Air Force, and United States Navy for retrieving individuals on the ground using aircraft such as the MC-130E Combat Talon I and B-17 Flying Fortress. It involves using an overall-type harness and a self-inflating balloon with an attached lift line. An MC-130E engages the line with its V-shaped yoke and the person is reeled on board. Red flags on the lift line guide the pilot during daylight recoveries; lights on the lift line are used for night recoveries. Recovery kits were designed for one- and two-man retrievals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_surface-to-air_recovery_system

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The Fulton system was used from 1965 to 1996 on several variants of the C-130 Hercules including the MC-130s and HC-130s. It was also used on the C-123 Provider.

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The Skyhook system was also featured in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. First mentioned by Lucius Fox as a means of re-boarding an aircraft without its landing,[8] the system is attached to a Lockheed L-100 Hercules.


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Fictional movie example
Batman kidnaps Lau from Hong Kong | The Dark Knight [4k, HDR, IMAX] The Dark Knight (2008) Scene: Batman kidnaps Lau from Hong Kong
Oct 21, 2019
Flashback FM


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[John K]

This is how the robot revolution begins. Drones armed with electrocution armaments.

 

[SolarWizard]

This is how the robot revolution begins. Drones armed with electrocution armaments.

I wish this sounded less plausible

 

[CyberGus]

Maybe drones will kill us all someday, but this video shows them being awesome.