- Jeep has patented a drone that could help with off-road driving
- Patent drawings show the drone docked in the vehicle’s centre console
- The patent also suggests the drone could follow occupants if they walk away from the vehicle
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A spotter on the ground can be vital on truly-tough off-road courses, but what about eyes in the air? Jeep has filed patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that show a drone integrated into a vehicle’s interior. Initially spotted by Motor Authority, the first patent drawing shows a drone docking station tucked away inside the centre console, likely with the ability to charge the drone when it’s stored. A second patent drawing shows the vehicle’s entire interior, and with the centre console closed.
Exactly how the drone would be used is still – pardon the pun – up in the air, but in addition to just providing cool footage to share on social media, it might send its images back to the driver’s phone or even the infotainment screen, taking the place of a spotter when driving into blind areas, such as cresting a steep hill.
One of the patent filings also mentioned using the drone to follow vehicle occupants if they leave the vehicle, which could be handy in unfamiliar off-road areas where one definitely doesn’t want to forget where one’s Jeep is parked.
Jeep isn’t the only one considering integrating a drone, of course. Earlier this year, GM filed patents for a drone that would scout ahead and route the driver through off-road terrain; and Rivian did the same, tasking the drone with basically playing “follow-the-leader” as it went ahead and selected the best off-road route while staying within the driver’s sight.
And back in 2019, Ford filed a patent for a drone that would deploy from a stranded vehicle, drawing attention to it so tow-truck drivers or other emergency services could find it. So far, we’re still waiting on that one.
That points to the reality of patents: When companies come up with ideas, they immediately patent them, even if there’s relatively little chance they’ll ever be used. It protects the idea if it ever does make it to production, and perhaps more importantly, it prevents anyone else from taking the idea and running with it. Frankly, we think the idea of an off-road spotter drone is a good one, but we’ll have to wait and see if it’s an idea that actually does fly.
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