Ford has enjoyed great success with its Sync in-vehicle entertainment and communications system, which is currently used by 15 million vehicles on the road and is projected to service 43 million vehicles by 2020.
Pushing the envelope on driving into the future, Ford wants to incorporate drones into its recently-released, third-generation Sync program.
As part of its press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Ford announced a $100,000 developer challenge for the mind who can create a drone-to-vehicle communications software that will improve response times in emergencies.
Under the rules, as described by Ford CEO Mark Fields on stage Tuesday, developers will need to devise a way to launch a drone from the bed of an F-150 pickup truck, survey the landscape and communicate in real-time using Sync data available.
Ford believes this could help pave the way for using drones and its Sync technology to help the United Nations assist those in need during natural disasters, potentially saving lives in the process.
"We believe our vehicles and drones could make a really big difference if they were connected through Sync," Fields said
The winning developer will be selected later this year and receive $100,000.
