AWARD-WINNING DRIVING SIMULATOR HELPS PATIENTS ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY USING FORD ADAPTA TECHNOLOGY

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04/07/2023

After a serious accident, those unfortunate enough to suffer major spinal injuries can face a long journey of physical rehabilitation. Yet there can also be psychological battles, especially when it comes to getting behind the wheel of a car again.

An award-winning simracing simulator, created by Ford Spain, Fundación ONCE and Team Fordzilla, and developed by Hi-Speed Simulators, is being used to help patients at the National Hospital for Paraplegics in Toledo, Spain to help overcome both of these obstacles.

Applying the same technologies that Ford Adapta uses on its road vehicles – a program in Spain to aid mobility for people with disabilities through the adaptation of vehicles – the simracing simulator allows patients to safely take to virtual roads. Not only does it help them get to grips with the feeling of driving again but it’s also a way to learn how to use the adapted controls.

For example, the steering wheel with hoops that enables acceleration and deceleration without the need of foot pedals is an unfamiliar experience for most drivers. Being able to trial them in a safe virtual space ahead of the real thing can build confidence and help users start to imagine being behind the wheel again.

The simulator has now become a permanent fixture at the National Hospital for Paraplegics, where it will continue helping those with spinal injuries to prepare both physically and mentally and start to imagine taking to the open roads once again.

Mustang Mach-E Ford Adapta

Earlier this year, Jesús Alonso, president and CEO, Ford Spain, launched the Mustang Mach-E Ford Adapta at the Toledo hospital, Ford’s first-ever 100 per cent electric vehicle designed for people with reduced mobility. The same event was also the first exhibition of the Ford Adapta simulator to residents there, with coaching in virtual driving and simracing provided by Team Fordzilla’s José Iglesias. The controls used in the simulator are the same as in the adapted Mustang Mach-E, while even the onscreen dashboard in the virtual environment is the same as in the Mustang Mach-E, meaning the leap from virtual to real is as small as possible.

National Hospital for Paraplegics

The Toledo National Hospital for Paraplegics (HNP) was inaugurated in 1974. It serves as a national reference centre in specialist care, research and continuing education related to spinal cord injury. Aside from treatment, the hospital also develops initiatives and projects aimed at the normalizing life for people with disabilities, from sports to full integration into social, work and family life.

Quotes

“We are very proud of this collaboration with the Toledo Hospital and Fundación ONCE. Surely many of these residents, when they leave here will be better prepared psychologically and physically to drive again thanks to this new Ford Adapta technology applied to simracing.”

_{Jesús Alonso, president and CEO, Ford Spain}

“With disabled people we were always present before and after thanks to Ford Adapta. Now, we can also be helping during the recovery process with this Team Fordzilla adapted simulator.”

_{José Iglesias, Team Fordzilla}

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Adapted Mustang Mach-E

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_{Ford, a global American brand woven into the fabric of Europe for more than 100 years, is committed to freedom of movement that goes hand-in-hand with looking after the planet and each other. The company’s Ford+ plan, with Model e, Ford Pro and the Ford Blue business units is accelerating its European transformation to an all-electric and carbon neutral future by 2035. The company is driving forward with bold, new EVs, each one designed with European drivers in mind and innovating with services to help people connect, communities grow, and businesses thrive. Selling and servicing Ford vehicles in 50 individual European markets, operations also include the Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Customer Service Division and 14 manufacturing facilities (eight wholly owned and six unconsolidated joint venture facilities) with four centres based in Cologne, Germany; Valencia, Spain and at our joint venture in Craiova, Romania and Kocaeli, Türkiye.  Ford employs approximately 34,000 people at its wholly owned facilities and consolidated joint ventures and approximately 56,000 people including unconsolidated businesses across Europe. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.}