What's all this about?
Ford thinks computer game developers could help find the solutions for global mobility problems. The Ford Smart Mobility Game Challenge, developed with Cologne Game Lab, was launched at Gamescom 2015 - the largest interactive games trade fair in Europe. Developers need to come up with an online game set around integrating various modes of transport within a city. It is hoped that developers will find solutions that can be applied to improve real-world journeys as they create the games. The process is called 'gamification' and has been used in other fields including fighting cancer and encouraging recycling.
How will it work?
We'll have to wait until 2016 when the winner is announced to see what solutions the developers come up with. It is possible that the games could reward participants for successful journeys, based on criteria such as time taken, cost, comfort and convenience. Other options include rewards to commuters for walking or cycling in good weather; and connections to services beyond public transport, such as Ford's GoDrive car-sharing service. Encouraging commuters to take under-utilised routes could help ease congestion.
Ford recently commissioned a survey of 5,500 commuters in a major European city; one outcome was that most people considered their commute to be more stressful than their job. The finalists will be expected to incorporate the survey findings into their game development plans.
A panel of experts, chosen from the fields of gaming and mobility, will pick five finalists. One overall winner will pick up a €10,000 prize (about £7,100) and have the opportunity to show their work at the 2016 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Has Ford done this before?
It has, using gamification to accelerate the development of autonomous technologies and to enhance the Ford ownership experience. Ford's SmartGauge technology rewards drivers for energy-efficient driving while the MyFord Mobile app enables drivers to remotely manage the charging of their electric vehicles and shows CO2 savings as exercise balls or hot-air balloons.
Ken Washington, vice president, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering said: "Gaming offers a degree of user engagement and empowerment that you don't get from other mediums. By utilising these qualities the Smart Mobility Game Challenge can help develop solutions that enable travellers to take control of their journeys."
John Lambert - 8 Aug 2015