Ford Quantifies Interior Vehicle Quality with Haptic Robot

How do you quantify how good an interior is? Of course anyone can look at a car's interior and give an opinion, but that is purely objective. How do you quantify that? Ford has found a way with a new robot that it calls RUTH, Robotized Unit for Tactility and Haptics. FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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is the first US automaker to use this type of robot to build its cars, and the 2013 FusionFord Fusion Gen.2United States of America, 2012 > present30 versions
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is the first car that took advantage of RUTH's abilities. 

The robot can quantify the softness, roughness, temperature, hardness and comfort of any given material in the car. It is made up of a single arm with six joints that can poke at materials, turn knobs and push buttons.

“Thanks to the data provided by RUTH, we can be sure the customer who buys a car like Fusion will experience the same type of quality they might feel if they were to buy a high-end luxury car. I might be biased, but RUTH isn’t. We know the steering wheel and the armrest softness in Fusion are the best in the world," Eileen Franko, Ford craftsmanship supervisor.

In the past, Ford's engineers have used teams of volunteers to experience a car's interior and give their opinions. Ford still plans to do that, but it will also incorporate RUTH's data. The data takes some of the guessing out of the equation for Ford, especially early on before anyone in the public has experienced the car. 

“RUTH simulates the motor skills of a real person, allowing us to get precise measurements that explain what the customer wants. Engineers can take the findings and implement them. As a result, when customers sit in an affordable car like Fusion, they’ll feel instantly like they’re in a high-end ride," said Franko.