The dream of putting self–driving cars on the road is generally associated with Google and its X Lab. But Ford has just announced a partnership with two academic brain trusts that could put the automaker on a competitive footing with the search giant.
Ford will partner with MIT and Stanford University to focus on surmounting some of the challenges related to bringing self-driving cars to the masses.
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"Working with university partners like MIT and Stanford enables us to address some of the longer-term challenges surrounding automated driving while exploring more near-term solutions for delivering an even safer and more efficient driving experience,” said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president of Ford Research and Innovation, in a statement.
Some of Ford's initial plans for future self-driving cars were revealed last year in a presentation that highlighted the capabilities of a LIDAR-enabled (light detecting and ranging) Ford Fusion Hybrid research vehicle.
Part of the company’s "Blueprint for Mobility," which lays out a roadmap for the future of driving beyond 2025, also included a video (see below) of its self-driving car in action.

The car’s system allows it to scan the terrain ahead at 2.5 million times per second, with a range of up to 200 feet in all directions, giving the vehicle a 3D map of the road ahead in real time. Using this system, the car has the ability to assess the upcoming terrain by peering around other vehicles and obstacles, resulting in a safer overall traveling experience.

In addition to MIT and Stanford, Ford has already collaborated with the University of Michigan and State Farm to facilitate the same kind of automated vehicle research.
However, teaming up with the likes of MIT could be particularly beneficial for Ford. In 2012, MIT unveiled a semi-autonomous driver system that takes over the driving duties from a human during dangerous travel situations.

Developed by MIT's Robotic Mobility Group and Department of Mechanical Engineering, the system uses a laser range finder and an on-board camera to map the terrain.
Integrating this kind of bleeding-edge research from MIT could help ramp up Ford's long-range plans for self-driving cars, as well as help change the current narrative that, so far, has Google in the lead when considering automatic vehicles in the near future.
“Drivers are good at using the cues around them to predict what will happen next, and they know that what you can’t see is often as important as what you can see," said Ford Research and Innovation's said Greg Stevens. "Our goal in working with MIT and Stanford is to bring a similar type of intuition to the vehicle.”
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