Meet Shelby, one of two drivers (the other is Miles) who test how Ford cars perform in extreme weather conditions, writes Brian Byrne. They are two robots, which can endure artificial extreme conditions in Ford's 'Weather Factory' facility in Cologne in Germany.
Conditions can be simulated from the Sahara to the Siberian steppes, and even the tallest Alpine peaks. Places where it would sometimes be tricky for human drivers to survive, let alone perform exactly the same driving procedures thousands of times.
Each robot test driver is able to operate at temperatures ranging from -40°C to +80°C as well as at extreme altitudes — and can be set up and programmed for different driving styles. Their legs extend to the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals, with one arm positioned to change gear and the other used to start and stop the engine.
Ford still does testing in those real world places, though, so Shelby and Miles haven't usurped the positions of the company's skilled real test drivers.
