At the moment there are various states in the US as well as countries around the world that allow companies to test their self-driving car technology. However for the most part, there is a stipulation in which it will require a human driver to be present, and the car in question is also expected to have a steering wheel and pedals to allow a driver to take over in an emergency.
This hardly seems like the future where we get around in pods that can take us wherever we want, but since self-driving technology is still being worked on, it is understandable that regulators don’t want to go all in just yet, but it looks like Ford might have come up with a solution that seems like a happy middle.
A recently discovered patent by Ford suggests that the company is looking into the idea of creating a car whose steering wheel and pedals are removable. This means that users will have a choice of going full driverless, or continue to have a safety net in place for emergencies, and since it is removable (and presumably reattachable), it gives users a choice.
The patent was actually filed back in 2016, but as is the case with all patents, there’s no telling if it will become a reality, so we’ll just have to keep an eye on Ford’s developments.
Filed in . Read more about Ford, Patent and Self-Driving Cars.