Ford Details Glowing Body Panels
Ford wants to use photoluminescent technology to light up its vehicles.
Numerous patent applications have surfaced detailing the technology Ford intends to use on its vehicles, all of which utilizes lighting that comes on after being exposed to certain wavelengths of light, similar to how items that glow-in-the-dark work.
The American automaker is looking to apply photoluminescent lighting for the following applications: vehicle trim and fabric, interior and exterior moving designs, vehicle graphics, bin lamp, device holder, vehicle console, lift gate lamp, color changing dome map lamp and vehicle step lamp. Each patent application was accompanied with a selection of images showcasing the technology and how it works.
SEE ALSO: Ford Applies for ‘Luminescent Vehicle Molding’ Patent
The driver will be able to independently control which graphic or body panel is glowing on the outside of the car thanks to this new technology. For the dome and interior lights, a controller would be used to configure and excite a photoluminescent portion with the ability to control the output color of an emitted light.
It appears that Ford wants to apply the photoluminescent lighting technology to various items in the cabin as well as using it to light up the lift gate lamp and steps on the side of a vehicle.
It will be interesting to see an actual application of the technology being demonstrated, but for now all we can think of is how Fast and Furious Mustangs are going to look with flames lighting up the side of the vehicles… straight from the factory.
[Source: USPTO]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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These days Ford seems more like a toy company than a car company with the amount of time and money they spend on developing gimmicks. Their focus is all over the place. They can't seem to fully develop any given tech to it's full potential or at least work all the bugs out of what they build. Gimmicks might snag a few consumers, but things are going back to basics because that's where we started and the auto industry is coming full circle. Lets not get carried away here ...