Smart Cars Meet Smart Homes: Ford Exploring SYNC Integration with Amazon Echo and Alexa, Wink
-
Ford is developing ways to pair millions of SYNC®-equipped
vehicles globally with home automation devices or smart home products;
half of consumers say they will buy at least one smart home product in
the next year -
Ford is working to integrate SYNC Connect and Amazon Echo to provide
voice control access between the car and home; drivers could also
access Internet-enabled devices, such as lights, home security
systems, TVs and garage doors -
Using Ford SYNC AppLink, drivers may also connect with the Wink smart
home platform enabling seamless home automation, including the ability
to program a garage door to open and a porch light to turn on when a
certain distance from home
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ford is exploring linking smart devices like Amazon Echo and Wink to its
vehicles to allow consumers to control lights, thermostats, security
systems and other features of their homes from their car, and to stop,
start, lock, unlock and check their vehicle’s fuel range from the
comforts of their couch.
Ford is working to link the home automation devices with its vehicles
through industry-leading Ford SYNC®. This comes as half of
consumers say they will buy at least one smart home product in the next
year, according to Icontrol Networks.
“Consumers increasingly want to stay connected to their homes while on
the move,” said Don Butler, Ford executive director, Connected Vehicle
and Services. “Linking smart devices like Amazon Echo and Wink to
vehicles via SYNC would fulfill that desire, and allow consumers to
connect with their vehicles even when they aren’t behind the wheel.”
With more than 15 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on roads around the
world today and 43 million expected by 2020, Ford’s industry-leading
communications and entertainment technology is offering customers even
more connectivity. Amazon Echo and Wink connectivity innovations are
part of Ford Smart Mobility, the plan to take Ford to the next level in
connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience,
and data and analytics.
SYNC Connect and Amazon Echo
Ford is looking to use new
SYNC Connect technology to link vehicles with the Amazon cloud-based
voice service Alexa, which would allow customers to access their vehicle
from inside their home. Using
Amazon Echo, a hands-free speaker and voice command device that
interfaces with Alexa, Ford owners could request assistance with various
functions of their car including:
- Start/stop the vehicle
- Lock/unlock
- State range and charge status of their electric vehicle
- Check fuel level/miles-to-empty
- State vehicle mileage summary
- Provide vehicle location with street name and driving time/mileage home
While at home, a Ford owner would experience an interaction such as this:
Owner: “Alexa, ask my Ford for my scheduled car start time.”
Alexa: “Here is the list of your current go times. You have a start time
set for Monday at 7 a.m., with a cabin temperature set to 85 degrees
Fahrenheit. Tuesday at 5:45 a.m., with a cabin temperature set to 75
degrees Fahrenheit.”
Owner: “Alexa, ask my Ford for my car’s driving range.”
Alexa: “You have an available range of 56 miles.”
Alexa also provides a link to a variety of Internet-enabled smart
devices, such as lights, home security systems, automatic garage doors
and more.
From inside the vehicle, a driver would access Alexa through the
steering wheel-mounted voice recognition button, allowing the driver to
make requests of connected smart devices or functions of Alexa,
including weather reports, music, shopping lists and more.
On the move, a driver could ask and receive answers to the following:
“Alexa, is my garage door closed?”
“Alexa, turn my porch lights on.”
“Alexa,
when is my next appointment?”
SYNC AppLink and Wink
Ford also is working with Wink, the smart home platform that brings
together smart home devices from many different companies. Compatibility
with SYNC AppLink enables Wink users to easily control and automate
their smart home device on the dashboard of their car or through voice
control.
For example, a driver nearing home could have the option to either press
a button or say a command that opens the garage door, turns on the
lights, and unlocks the front door.
“Connecting homes and cars is all about making life easier and
convenient for our customers,” said Butler. “As smart homes and smart
cars continue to evolve, SYNC technology makes it easy to implement
features that will make life better and more convenient for our
customers.”
About Ford Motor Company
Ford
Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six
continents. With about 197,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the
company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.media.ford.com.
Contacts
Ford Motor Company
Alan Hall
313.337.9618
ahall32@ford.com
