Sunday, October 14, 2012

Engineering is often about the little things… Such as reverse lights...


Engineering is often about the little things.  Whether the end product is a software system, bridge, building, or vehicle.  Take, for example, Ford’s engineers.  I have looked high and low on the internet, but have not found a single reference to the way they tend to engineer their reverse lights!

“Reverse lights?!  What are you talking about, Chris?!”, you may ask.

Well, I have owned a 1999 Ford Contour and, for the past year, I have owned a 2012 Ford Fiesta.  For both vehicles, the reverse lights tell you just how close you are to a wall.  The lights, as they reflect off of the wall, form a design which, when the design aligns with your trunk lid, you are about 2 feet away from the wall.  That leaves you with enough room to comfortably get to the trunk.

The 2012 Ford Fiesta’s reverse lights form an upside down triangle.  You stop backing up when the lower tip aligns with the trunk.

Neat, huh?

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