High-octane activities ranked; driving a sports car provides easy access to essential “buzz moments”
Forget shopping, fine dining, or an epic boxset binge – new preliminary research reveals that driving a sports car daily is among the best ways to boost your sense of wellbeing and emotional fulfillment.
The study measured “buzz moments” – peak thrills that play a vital role in our overall wellness – as volunteers cheered on their favorite football team, watched a gripping Game of Thrones episode, enjoyed a day of shopping, or took an intense salsa dancing class. Only the occasional highs of riding a roller coaster ranked higher than the daily buzz of a commute in a sports car.
Working with neuroscientists and designers, Ford brought the research to life with the unique Ford Performance Buzz Car: a customized Ford Focus incorporating wearable and artificial intelligence technology to animate the driver’s emotions in real-time across the car’s exterior.
“A roller coaster may be good for a quick thrill, but it’s not great for getting you to work every day,” said Dr. Harry Witchel, Discipline Leader in Physiology. “This study shows how driving a performance car does much more than get you from A to B – it could be a valuable part of your daily wellbeing routine.”
Study participants who sat behind the wheel of a Ford Focus ST or Mustang experienced an average of 2.1 high-intensity buzz moments during a typical commute; this compared with an average of 3 buzz moments while riding on a roller coaster, 1.7 while on a shopping trip, 1.5 each while watching a Game of Thrones episode or a football match, and none at all while salsa dancing or fine dining.
For the research,
Ford took one Focus and worked with Designworks to create the Buzz Car. From concept, design, and installation to software development and programming, the Buzz Car took 1,400 man-hours to create. Each “buzz moment” experienced by the driver – analyzed using a real-time “emotional AI” system developed by leading empathic technology firm Sensum – produces a dazzling animation across almost 200,000 LED lights integrated into the car. The Buzz Car also features:
High-performance Zotac VR GO gaming PC
110 x 500-lumen daylight-bright LED light strips
82 display panels with 188,416 individually addressable LEDs
Driver state research
Researchers at the Ford Research and Innovation Centre in Aachen, Germany, are already looking into how vehicles can better understand and respond to drivers’ emotions. As part of the EU-funded ADAS&ME project, Ford experts are investigating how in-car systems may one day be aware of our emotions and levels of stress, distraction, and fatigue – providing prompts and warnings could even take control of the car in emergencies.
“We think driving should be an enjoyable, emotional experience,” said Dr. Marcel Mathissen, a research scientist at Ford of Europe. “The driver-state research Ford and its partners are undertaking are helping to lead us towards safer roads and – importantly – healthier driving.”
Activity Buzz Moments *
Roller Coaster 3
Driving 2.1
Shopping 1.7
Game of Thrones 1.5
Football Game 1.5
Salsa Dancing 0
Dining 0
* Average number of high-intensity buzz moments per participant
