Ford Motor Co. has filed a patent for a rescue drone that can jumpstart cars stranded on the side of the road with dead batteries.
Ford vehicles of the future could be equipped with technology that allows them to transmit a request to a central computer system that dispatches drones that can deliver jumper cables or provide a charge directly from the drone, according to a patent filing published this week.
The drones might also have the ability to open the car hood, according to the filing.
The auto giant has been toying with the idea since April 2017 when it first filed a patent for this technology — and industry experts say it could be especially useful in rural areas.
Ford Authority reported that the patent was assigned a serial number on March 28.
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In 2019, the company filed a patent for technology that would allow drones to launch from a vehicle’s trunk to alert emergency services when a car is in an accident or breaks down, according to Dronelife.com.
The drone might shine a light and provide a precise GPS location, or turn on a siren, according to the report.
Ford launched a drone division more than five years ago and has considered pairing drones with some of its “adventurous vehicles,” to let drivers capture “moments from above” by filming them while they drive, Ford scientist Adi Singh told Dronelife in 2018.
“What do you do with vehicles like the Bronco and Raptor? You take them off-roading and you want to capture some of these nice moments,” Singh told the the site.
The Detroit-based company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.