RUTH Takes the Guesswork out of Comfort in the 2013 Fusion

Ford doesn’t have to worry about whether the cabin in the all-new 2013 Fusion is going to be able to satisfy hundreds of thousands of customers each year, since the company already knows that it satisfies RUTH—the automaker’s Robotized Unit for Tactility and Haptics. RUTH is essentially a large, multi-jointed robotic arm that was created to push and prod at a vehicle’s interior trim and switch gear, as well as help quantify interior comfort levels. “Thanks to the data provided by RUTH, we can be sure the customer who buys a car like Fusion will experience the same type of quality they might feel if they were to buy a high-end luxury car,” according to Eileen Franco, a Ford craftsmanship supervisor. “I might be biased, but RUTH isn’t. We know the steering wheel and the armrest softness in Fusion are the best in the world.” Ford is the only automaker in North America relying on this technology, which will be used in more and more of the Blue Oval’s new products to help bring premium ownership environments to more and more new owners. “We are going further for our customers by more accurately and quickly assessing our products’ performance,” added Franko. “RUTH simulates the motor skills of a real person, allowing us to get precise measurements that explain what the customer wants. Engineers can take the findings and implement them. As a result, when customers sit in an affordable car like Fusion, they’ll feel instantly like they’re in a high-end ride.”