Ford has patented a system for projecting ads onto the car's screen. Is this really necessary?

Technology is advancing rapidly, and it is now possible for drivers to interact with the various services offered over the internet. But what would happen if the driver received information about the things advertised on roadside billboards directly on the car’s multimedia screen?

This is the proposal from Ford, which has been filed with the United States Patent Office and that aims to put advertising on the car’s screen. The theory is simple. A camera will capture the image of the billboard and will display a personalised advertisement on the screen. This advertisement will allow the driver to obtain information about the product or establishment and even head towards it by changing the navigation route.

A practical system, but one that is too intrusive

The idea is that if the car passes a billboard advertising a restaurant, an advertisement about it will be shown, with directions to get there and even a menu to choose from. In principle, this might seem interesting, but the reality is that it could prove too intrusive and even dangerous.

An advertisement on the multimedia screen could cause the driver to take their eyes off the road and pose a danger to traffic. In fact, this system appears to be designed for vehicles with autonomous driving. This means the patented system will still take a long time to become operational, since cars with Level 4 autonomous driving, which allows control of the car to be handed over to the onboard computer, and those with Level 5, which represents full autonomy, are still far away in time.

Let us hope this intrusion can be optional and that it can be blocked in the information and entertainment systems, because it seems brands want us to have ads even while driving. Furthermore, this system could hinder driving, whether manual or assisted with current technology.

Several brands are opting to reduce multimedia screens and promote the use of physical controls, which are more practical and cause fewer distractions during use. Will this advertising imposition become a reality in cars? Do you think it could be useful for the driver, or is it just a pointless distraction that could carry serious risks?