They are still smaller than the televisions in their drivers’ living rooms, but screens in cars are getting bigger and bigger. There is plenty of space for information, distraction – and advertising! Yup! This is exactly what Ford has now apparently discovered and has patented a function that brings the content of advertising signs or billboards on the roadside onto the display!
An inestimably valuable service, because how else could you perceive the advertising messages? After all, while driving we are mostly distracted from what is happening on the road, from e-mails and Whatsapp or phone calls.
And since today’s cars usually have a camera on board anyway – please! She sees advertising posters anyway. So why not couple an ad recognition with it. Maybe it works better than traffic sign recognition. Hopefully, otherwise send us advertising for an organic market to McDonald’s.
This is the idea behind it:
The software recognizes a poster, reflects the information on the display and also creates hyperlinks. For example, to be able to tap and dial a phone number directly. Or to be able to click on the homepage of a company. Of course, the automaker would cooperate with advertisers and earn money.
It would also be conceivable that a car could be offered more cheaply if advertising was allowed on the display. Similar to what Amazon does with its Fire Tablets. They cost less if they display advertisements on the lock screen. In other words: they are more expensive if they are supposed to be ad-free.
It remains to be seen whether Ford actually wants to display advertising in the foreseeable future. We think it’s unlikely because it would be too distracting. But: at some point the cars will probably drive without the driver having to do anything. He would then have time for advertising. Or for clicking them away.