DERA and Ford launch hologram venture

17 Jun 2002

Ford Motor Company and the UK's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) are to form a joint venture company that will use holograms to help design new vehicles.

Called Holographic Imaging, the venture aims to create a three-dimensional interactive imaging workstation prototype that, Ford says, will save the company millions in the design and development of new vehicles.

Initially, development of the system will take place at DERA's Malvern site, with corporate offices situated in the US. The new company's board of directors will comprise an equal number of DERA and Ford staff, while an independent chief executive officer is expected to be appointed.

Neil Ressler, Ford's chief technical officer, said of the venture: "The new company's focus is to develop a three-dimensional design tool that can accelerate and simplify Ford's product development and design processes. This partnership is a revolutionary step by Ford."

The imaging system should provide customer feedback on new designs much faster than is achieved at the moment. Ford's vice-president of design, J May, said: "Imagine being able to project a three-dimensional instrument panel in full scale and view it from behind the wheel of the passenger seat. This will be possible using this technology."

For the past three years, Ford has been collaborating with DERA on interactive three-dimensional holography and night vision systems.

The technology is also expected to have important military applications for which the UK's Ministry of Defence will retain use.