Ford has challenged computer game developers to come up with solutions for global mobility issues. The Ford Smart Mobility Game Challenge, developed with Cologne Game Lab, was launched at Gamescom 2015 - the largest interactive games trade fair in Europe. Developers need to come up with an online game set around integrating various modes of transport within a city. There is a serious side to creating the game; it is hoped that developers will find solutions that can be applied to improve real-world journeys. The process is called 'gamification' and has been applied in other fields including fighting cancer and encouraging recycling.
Exactly what solutions the developers create probably won't be revealed until 2016, when the winner is announced. Possible ideas that could be incorporated in the games include rewards for successfully completing journeys, based on criteria such as time-taken, cost, comfort and convenience. There could also be incentives for walking or cycling in good weather and participants could access services beyond public transport, such as Ford's GoDrive car-sharing service. To help ease congestion commuters could be encouraged to take under-utilised routes.
Many people, according to a recent survey of 5,500 commuters in a major European city, consider commuting more stressful than their actual job. One objective for the competition finalists will be to incorporate the survey findings into their game development plans.
Five finalists will be chosen by a panel of experts, chosen from the fields of gaming and mobility. For the overall winner there is a €10,000 prize and the opportunity to show their work at the 2016 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
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Ford has used gamification in the past to accelerate the development of autonomous technologies and to enhance the Ford ownership experience. SmartGauge technology rewards drivers for energy-efficient driving while the MyFord Mobile app enables drivers to remotely manage the charging of their electric vehicles.
Ken Washington, vice president, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering said: "Gaming offers a degree of user engagement and empowerment that you don't get from other mediums. By utilising these qualities the Smart Mobility Game Challenge can help develop solutions that enable travellers to take control of their journeys."