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Ford robot adds the human touch

 Ford is the only automaker to use a robot to test the feel and appearance of switches and surfaces in its vehicles.

Ford’s robot, known as RUTH – short for 'Robotized Unit for Tactility and Haptics', allows engineers to refine touch points in the vehicle in line with perceptions of high-quality materials to meet the widest range of customer preferences.

Human touch is both subjective and complex, making it hard to measure. Vehicle interior designers have historically relied on direct feedback from customers to determine which materials and dial settings pleased the most people.

Engineers at Ford’s European Advance Research Centre in Aachen, Germany, used the robot in developing the interiors for almost all current and future Ford models.

RUTH brings a scientific approach to touch. Friction, roughness, softness and temperature are among the parameters measured all over the vehicle’s interior. Its measurements are compared with consumer feedback on what they perceive as a high-quality feel.

RUTH assumes the role of the driver and “feels” components inside a design prototype, mimicking common behavior behind the wheel from pushing knobs to adjusting the air vents.

Examples of its uses over four years at Ford include:

* Measuring the resistance of pushing buttons and turning knobs to make sure they do not feel too loose or have too much resistance. The robot also compares the different buttons and knobs to one another to ensure they have a uniform feel
* Determining the softness or hardness and texture of surfaces like the dashboard to ensure they fall within limits consumers have shown they prefer
* Taking the temperature of components so materials match expectations. Metal-coloured materials are expected to feel colder for instance
* Measuring the spaces between pieces for uniform and minimal gaps

“All these little measurements add up to a much greater sense of quality from the moment you sit down inside a Ford. We’re leading the way in measuring touch so that high-quality interiors can be delivered in affordable cars, not just expensive luxury models,” said Mark Spingler, Ford vehicle interior technologies engineer. “We’re able to convey in numbers precisely how something needs to feel and build exactly to those specifications – guesswork's replaced by science.”

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