You may own a Ford vehicle and travel across the border but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want to smuggle illegal drugs. And the automaker wants to make sure you don’t accidentally participate in narcotics trafficking.
Ford recently filed a patent, spotted by Motor1, for an "unknown cargo detection and evidence collection system" that can use a vehicle’s various cameras and sensors to prevent the driver from becoming a “blind mule,” or someone who carries illegal drugs across the border without their knowledge.
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The system is designed to detect suspicious activity by monitoring for fluctuations in the vehicle's weight, listening to any activity around the vehicle that seems out of norm, and scanning for unfamiliar GPS signals, since that’s the most likely way a drug smuggler would track a vehicle and retrieve their cargo after it crosses the border. As the report points out, if the system does think something fishy is going down, it can turn on the cameras, make recordings, and store the footage so it can be used as evidence later.
It’s an interesting application for many of the cameras and sensors already included with Ford’s vehicles but it’s unclear if it will ever become a standard feature. What’s also unclear is how a driver might react to their vehicle telling them there could be illegal drugs planted on their truck. Would they jump out and try to give the drugs back? Would they drive to the border crossing and say ‘You’re not going to believe this, but…?’” Neither option sounds great.
If the tech seems far-fetched, an inewsource story pointed out in the report said blind mule drug trafficking has been a strategy employed by Mexican drug cartels for decades. And it’s resulted in some enormous legal headaches for anyone caught smuggling drugs without realizing it.
This isn’t the first time Ford has filed a patent designed to catch law breakers. The company previously patented technology that would allow its vehicles to detect other vehicles speeding around it and take photos for the record. Last year, the company patented technology that would allow for the remote disabling of features or let a self-driving vehicle repossess itself if the driver misses car payments.
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WEBVTT
X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0
00:00.170 --> 00:03.230
You may own a Ford vehicle and travel across
the border.
00:03.240 --> 00:07.239
But that doesn't necessarily mean you want to
smuggle illegal drugs.
00:07.460 --> 00:12.229
And the automaker wants to make sure you don't
accidentally participate in narcotics
00:12.239 --> 00:15.840
trafficking.
Ford recently filed a patent spotted by motor
00:15.850 --> 00:21.899
one for a quote unknown cargo detection and
evidence collection system that can use a
00:21.909 --> 00:27.142
vehicle's various cameras and sensors to
prevent the vehicle from becoming a quote blind
00:27.152 --> 00:30.583
mule or someone who carries illegal drugs
across the border.
00:30.593 --> 00:31.902
Without their knowledge.
00:32.103 --> 00:37.823
The system is designed to detect suspicious
activity by monitoring for fluctuations in the
00:37.833 --> 00:42.963
vehicle's weight, listening to any activity
around the vehicle that seems out of the norm
00:42.972 --> 00:48.943
and scanning for unfamiliar GPS signals since
that's the most likely way a drug smuggler
00:48.952 --> 00:52.952
would track a vehicle and retrieve their cargo
after it crosses the border.
00:53.245 --> 00:56.936
As the report points out.
If the system does think something fishy is
00:56.945 --> 01:01.986
going down, it can turn on the cameras, make
recordings and store the footage so it can be
01:01.995 --> 01:05.935
used as evidence later.
It's an interesting application for many of the
01:05.945 --> 01:09.185
cameras and sensors already included with
Ford's vehicles,
01:09.365 --> 01:12.655
but it's unclear if it will ever become a
standard feature.
01:12.666 --> 01:15.945
What's also unclear is how a driver might react
to their vehicle,
01:15.956 --> 01:19.375
telling them there could be illegal drugs
planted on their truck.
01:19.629 --> 01:22.250
Would they jump out and try to give the drugs
back?
01:22.260 --> 01:25.430
Would they drive to the border crossing and say
you're not gonna believe this?
01:25.440 --> 01:29.569
But neither option sounds great if the text
seems far fetched though,
01:29.580 --> 01:35.169
an I news source story pointed out in the
report said blind mule drug trafficking has
01:35.180 --> 01:39.129
been a strategy employed by Mexican drug
cartels for decades.
01:39.139 --> 01:43.769
And it's resulted in some enormous legal
headaches for anyone caught smuggling drugs
01:43.870 --> 01:44.980
without realizing it.
01:45.250 --> 01:49.510
This isn't the first time Ford has filed a
patent designed to catch lawbreakers.
01:49.760 --> 01:54.209
The company previously patented technology that
would allow its vehicles to detect other
01:54.220 --> 01:57.529
vehicles speeding around it and take photos for
the record.
01:57.540 --> 02:02.480
And last year, the company patented technology
that would allow for the remote disabling of
02:02.489 --> 02:07.449
features or let a self driving vehicle
repossess itself if the driver misses car
02:07.459 --> 02:10.600
payments, I'm Ben Munson and this is
manufacturing now.
