Ford, which announced its MCS reconstruction plans in 2018, will open its hub to other companies working in the field. Notably, Google is also a founding member of Michigan Central and hopes to attract new talent to the budding job scene in the district’s tech and automobile sectors.
Ford is no stranger to drones. At its Dagenham Engine Plant in the U.K., the company has already deployed drones in difficult-to-reach areas where human inspection would take more time, effort, and resources. At its innovation campus centered around the historic railway station, the company hopes to “provide open, shared infrastructure and services that enable commercial drone development while ensuring safety in the air and on the ground.”
The ultimate goal is to achieve beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), an initiative that is currently awaiting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval. BVLOS is said to be the biggest barrier when it comes to mass commercialization of drone-tethered services, as it would allow these aerial vehicles to cover a much larger distance and expand their operational range with minimal human intervention.