Ford wants you to meet RUTH

[mcnamg]

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/17/f...quality-robot/

A Robot with Feelings: Ford's Sense of Quality, Touch Perfected by the RUTH Machine

You won't hurt RUTH the robot's feelings if you disagree with her, but it's very difficult to prove your point given her opinions are backed up by mathematical evidence.

Thanks to the Robotized Unit for Tactility and Haptics (RUTH) machine, which arrived in North America earlier this year, Ford knows its 2013 Fusion has an interior that customers want.

Quality can be difficult to express, yet when customers sit in a high-end car, they know by the feel of the trim and the touch of the buttons that the car is special. The sense of touch and the intuitive understanding of quality are innately human characteristics, but how do you measure them? The answer: use a RUTH.

RUTH allows engineers to quantify vehicle characteristics such as softness, roughness, temperature, hardness and comfort. This allows Ford to tailor each vehicle interior to exactly what a customer group wants.

Click here to see RUTH in action and hear engineers and technicians explain how she works.

The RUTH robot is a giant arm with six joints, programmed to poke the trims, turn the knobs, push the buttons and interact with many of the vehicle's interior areas in the same way a person would.

Engineers in North America are finding several different ways to use RUTH. They are the first in the world, for example, to use the robot to measure seat comfort.

Eileen Franko, Ford craftsmanship supervisor, believes RUTH results in greater customer satisfaction.

"Thanks to the data provided by RUTH, we can be sure the customer who buys a car like Fusion will experience the same type of quality they might feel if they were to buy a high-end luxury car," Franko says. "I might be biased, but RUTH isn't. We know the steering wheel and the armrest softness in Fusion are the best in the world."

For years, Ford's quality interiors resulted from worldwide studies where customers tested various parts, documenting their preferences. RUTH won't change that. But now, RUTH is involved from beginning to end to determine the feeling of quality.

Interior samples are premeasured by RUTH. Customer test studies are conducted, and after the results are tallied, RUTH supplies the data to implement the finest option into mass production. In other words, quality is no longer a guessing game.

As a relatively new resident to North America, RUTH, first introduced in Europe, is found only in Ford's product development center. And the robot has already helped engineers improve the quality of many parts of the car.

RUTH illustrates Ford's commitment to putting high-end products within reach of a larger group of customers.

"We are going further for our customers by more accurately and quickly assessing our products' performance," Franko says. "RUTH simulates the motor skills of a real person, allowing us to get precise measurements that explain what the customer wants. Engineers can take the findings and implement them. As a result, when customers sit in an affordable car like Fusion, they'll feel instantly like they're in a high-end ride."

Luke Robinson, Ford metrologist and RUTH technician, says RUTH has increased productivity.

"Before RUTH, many engineers had access only to hand-held measuring tools, and no means to test the interiors in a manner that resembled in-vehicle scenarios," he explains. "An engineer outside of our department might even have pushed a dictionary and a pop can into an armrest to measure its resistance and softness. But now engineers can contact us and we can put RUTH into a vehicle; within a few hours, we can give them tangible data.

"With years of Ford customer research to tell us where to start," Robinson adds, "we can use RUTH to measure exactly what the majority of customers want."

Its good to see Ford using customer feedback to improve interior quality

[crymoarpls]

so it isn't the territory drivetrain engineer who wanted to see all her friends on one tank of fuel? disappointed

[falconnut]

Wait what? Man this is so pointless!

[Oxa384]

slow news day???

[Dusty1]

I've called Ruth a couple of time after a lot of beer.

[Bundy]

The Aussie version is on the way, its called STRUTH

[Wretched]

So Ford have put in place a tangible method to improve quality and it is considered pointless?

I congratulate them. Hopefully we see these improvements in the next round of models released.

[Oxa384]

i wonder if ruth can organise a successful marketing campain for the falcon??then id be impressed.

[VICFPV]

Maybe put Ruth in its Tv ads to create awareness of quality testing and just brand awareness. From that photo shot I got interested in interior of the fusion/mondeo straight away.

[falconnut]

Now heres a idea ford marketing department, put RUTH in a FALCON as a ad and say how well it does, it will sell!

God i doubt Ford Australia even cares about selling cars anymore, let alone aussie cars.

Surely the locally built models would fare pretty good on this?

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by falconnut

Now heres a idea ford marketing department, put RUTH in a FALCON as a ad and say how well it does, it will sell!

God i doubt Ford Australia even cares about selling cars anymore, let alone aussie cars.

Surely the locally built models would fare pretty good on this?

Yeah doubt it. Somebody should gearbox the leader of Fords marketing department...


Nice to know about RUTH though

[swagger]

wow!!!

[mcnamg]

I think the big thing I take from this is even though it seems pointless to us as car enthusiasts that Ford tests their cars for quality it is something that Joe Public may not be aware of and also shows the difference in marketing between the US and Australia. Ford US is making an effort to show how good their cars are both in looks features and quality.

[kaniSS]

If only they had this machine when they where selecting the leather seats for the XR6 luxury pack. Though I would imagine actually touching the leather for quality tests would of been a better and cheaper alternative.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by falconnut

God i doubt Ford Australia even cares about selling cars anymore, let alone aussie cars.

I think Ford know they can earn more off government handouts, without selling cars or needing staff to build them

[Shonky.]

I'd tap that

[2011G6E]

The thing would have a fit if it hopped into something like a G6E and had a feel around...no soft return passenger roof grab handles, plasticy automatic shift lever, no soft-close on the center console lid that bangs down into place if you drop it, click and clacks and groans from thin plastic panelling...

Lovely car, comfortable interior...just could have done with a few bucks spent on quality plastics...

[Bossxr8]

Why would I want to meet Ruth, she's not even hot.