Researchers at the University of North Texas developed a drug-sniffing Ford Fusion. https://t.co/eqJsPzE9xz pic.twitter.com/Xq0125C1IH
— Autoblog.com (@therealautoblog) May 5, 2016
The last time you saw a crime-fighting car, it was the 80's, and you were watching Knight Rider. It may not be able to make sassy comments in a British accent, but a modified Ford Fusion Hybrid may someday help law enforcement.
The project is the brainchild of Guido Verbeck, director of the Laboratory of Imaging Mass Spectrometry at the University of North Texas. Things started out simple enough. He and his team were developing a mass spectrometer -- essentially, a device that detects and identifies particles in the air.
The spectrometer was initially intended for scientific studies on air quality, such as measuring allergens in urban neighborhoods. To make the bulky detection hardware, and accompanying analysis software easily portable, he built it into a Fusion.
Then something unexpected happened. They were picking up chemical signatures, and realized that the spectrometer-Fusion was detecting a meth lab.
Now Verbeck hopes to sell the idea to law enforcement. "You start getting those chemical signatures before they even have to come in contact with the drug," he said. "The car could just drive by and keep moving down the road, and it'll alert the officers there's something going on at the house, and where the location is."
We may not have mass-spectrometry-modified vehicles at Philpott Pre-Owned Super Center, but we do have an excellent selection of pre-owned Ford vehicles in our inventory in Nederland. Visit us for a test drive today!