News

• Ford has developed an app for the 2011 Fiesta that gauges whether the car is happy or sad.
• The new mood app uses information gathered from “various vehicle data sensors or engine computer codes.”

While you’re waiting for your pre-ordered Ford Fiesta to arrive from Sid Dillon Ford in Crete, Nebraska, you can follow the journey of two Fiestas, a team of Ford engineers and a team of University of Michigan students cross country from Michigan to California.
Ford and University of Michigan students have created an app that tracks the mood of the 2011 Ford Fiesta.
The app, developed within the automaker’s connected vehicle labs, gauges whether the small car is happy or sad, based on information gathered from “various vehicle data sensors or engine computer codes,” said Ford in a statement unveiling its ambitious American Journey 2.0 project, which will certainly transform the 2011 Ford Fiesta from Nebraska daily driver to the “ultimate mobile device.”

Nebraska Ford consumers waiting for their pre-ordered Ford Fiesta from Sid Dillon Ford in Crete can follow the American Journey project on Facebook and Twitter.

What Makes a Ford Fiesta Happy?

A “happy” car is one that’s “zipping along an open road or negotiating tight curves,” explained Ford. Such an emotional evaluation is gleaned from powertrain sensors, such as engine rpm, speed, and steering inputs. Conversely, a “sad” Fiesta is likely to be stuck in traffic “at zero mph with the wipers on.” The experimental version of the Fiesta, dubbed @AjtheFiesta, will automatically blog or tweet updates on its mood.  The Ford engineers will be using a sort of Geocaching-for-the-masses-type app dubbed Virtual Road Rally, which allows users to define points-of-interest along with physical landmarks and then come up with a sort of treasure hunt that can be shared. But it can also share fuel consumption stats and other info that can stir up a rally-type competition.

The Ford engineers’ Fiesta will also be tweeting and blogging along with using “Auto”matic Blog. It’s connected to the cars vital systems and can automatically word a Tweet based on all sorts driving conditions.

“The car is the ultimate mobile devide,” said Venkatesh Prasad, group and technical leader of the Infotronics team in Ford Research & Advanced Engineering. “We’re researching how to responsibly and safely harness the Internet to enhance driver’s time behind the wheel.”

If you haven’t ordered your 2011 Ford Fiesta yet, call Sid Dillon Ford at 866-906-7153 today!