Security-focused technology is a constantly evolving science. In early vehicles, locking doors were a luxury. Now, over a century after the advent of the automobile, we have GPS tracking technology, security software suites, ear-shattering alarms, and remote shut-off facilities. However, a recent Ford patent outlining the technology buyers can expect in the future suggests cars may be able to project holograms of fake cops to protect themselves and their vehicles. 

A Ford patent for the technology in future cars could involve holograms of fake cops and helpful signs

Automotive marques file patents all the time. That’s how fans knew that the next generation of Dodge Charger would include a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust creating a synthetic exhaust note. However, a recent Ford patent suggests the company’s future cars may incorporate hologram technology with– get this– fake cops.  

According to Popular Science, the Ford Motor Company recently filed a patent for hologram technology that could have counter-crime purposes. Specifically, the FoMoCo patent outlines integrated holographic camera modules (IHCMs) that could project holograms. Sounds like the sort of science fiction you’d expect on the bridge of some interstellar starship. But the patent suggests we may be closer to that tech than you think.

The patent suggests that the technology could create “moveable and interactive holograms” inside and outside the vehicle. In theory, the tech could read a sign, menu, or plate and create a legible representation inside the cabin. That, or it could have security applications.

The new technology could project fake cops as holograms to deter unwanted parties like criminals. As silly as it sounds, the technology could conjure (reportedly) convincing images of police officers, dogs, and even a polar bear passenger. That last one doesn’t sound like a very good idea. Either way, we don’t expect to see practical holograms for security purposes anytime soon.