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Khatir Soltani
No, Ford has not created an army of alien-human-DNA soup-mix-monsters to infiltrate the natives. Although the program used to create SANTOS, a highly realistic virtual worker, was created for the U.S. Department of Defense, in an effort to simulate and ease physical strain on the soldiers.

SANTOS' job will be to experience the life of the assembly line worker, virtually, obviously. Ford plans to use all the data accumulated over time to see if they can improve the condition of the “working man” or woman. By measuring muscle strain, fatigue.

The Department of Defense began working with the University of Iowa since 2004. Ford jumped in the mix in 2007. In that time, GM and Chrysler have collaborated and shared funding, with each automotive group paying $500,000. The federal government has itself infused the program with approximately $10 million.

Photo: Ford

As reported by Ford

DEARBORN, Mich. – The new guy on the Ford Motor Company assembly line is an inexhaustible tough guy with impeccable military and academic credentials.

His name is Santos, a highly realistic virtual worker who doesn't just simulate motion; he records the actual physical strains of reaching, lifting and stretching. He can execute tasks autonomously. He can walk, talk and answer questions.

Originally created for the U.S. Department of Defense at the University of Iowa as part of the Virtual Soldier Research (VSR) program to help reduce physical strain on soldiers, Santos has been heralded by ergonomists as a breakthrough in digital modeling.

Santos' move from the virtual battlefield to the virtual assembly line is the latest step in Ford's efforts to improve ergonomics at its manufacturing plants.

"Creating the safest and most ergonomic way to build a vehicle is a trial-and-error process – in recent years technology has allowed this process to happen in the virtual world," said Allison Stephens, ergonomics technical specialist with Vehicle Operations Manufacturing Engineering. "Santos takes this to a new level. He can perform a task and tell us whether over months and years it will cause back strain, for example, and we can make adjustments until we find the optimal way to get the job done."

Santos builds on the company's use of digital avatars – dubbed Jack and Jill – that help Ford test ergonomics and safety on the assembly line in the virtual world. Santos goes further by allowing Ford to understand the true strain on the body when performing actions on the job.

"It's very cool in the ergo world that we can evaluate these types of movements, these lifts where you're using acceleration, or momentum – what we call the dynamics of a lift," Stephens said.

Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
As a car enthusiast, he tests and compares vehicles from different categories through the eyes of the consumer, ensuring relevant and objective reviews.
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada