Ford Seeks Robo Cop Car Patent

Ford Motor Co. has filed a patent application in the U.S. for a self-driving police cruiser that can detect traffic law violations, pursue vehicles and even issue tickets.  

As described in the patent, the autonomous police vehicle would include sensors, navigation and mapping technology, a traffic law database, recording equipment and communication systems. The vehicles could be unmanned or have an officer onboard to perform follow-up work or take control of the car if necessary.

Ford says a machine learning algorithm could be used to analyze traffic patterns and determine ideal “hiding” spots for police cars to lie in wait for speeders. Information could be shared with nearby police officers and other devices, such as speed cameras to verify a violation.

The automated cruiser also could communicate directly with other vehicles to determine if they are being operated manually or in self-driving mode. Driver’s license, registration and insurance information also could be transmitted wirelessly.