A patent describes cars monitoring the front of your house while a drone patrols the back

Home security is a growing priority, and Ford has a new idea to involve your vehicle in safeguarding your property. The automaker recently published a patent outlining a vehicle-based security system—not just for monitoring the car itself, but for keeping an eye on your surroundings. In fact, the vehicle actively monitors your property and uses a drone to surveil areas beyond the street or driveway.
Filed in 2022 under the title “Systems and methods for providing a vehicle-and-drone-based security service,” the patent reveals that the vehicle could range from a sedan to a truck, equipped with “at least one drone.” The vehicle doesn’t just transport and launch the drone; it acts as the command center for all security monitoring activities.

The vehicle owner sets and prioritizes the areas to be monitored, and from there, the onboard systems take control using various technologies. The patent outlines the use of radar, infrared cameras, ultrasonic detectors, and capacitive sensors mounted on the vehicle. Acting as the main surveillance unit while parked in the driveway or on the street, the vehicle monitors the front of the house. To cover areas beyond its line of sight, it can deploy “at least one drone” to patrol a predefined zone. Ford even details specific routes for the drone to fly, functioning like a sentry on guard.

If this sounds like something out of a Terminator movie, it gets even more interesting. The patent also discusses autonomous vehicles designed to “move along vehicle-accessible pathways” to maintain constant communication with the drone. It’s intriguing, yet a bit unsettling.
As with many patents, there’s no guarantee this concept will ever be realized. Additionally, the language suggests it may be intended for security companies to aid human operators in patrolling commercial properties. However, there’s nothing preventing your overly cautious neighbor from purchasing an autonomous truck with drones to monitor their extensive backyard.
As long as Ford doesn’t name this system Skynet, we should be fine. Probably.