<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/plants-manufacturing/" rel="tag">Plants/Manufacturing</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/tech/" rel="tag">Technology</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/"><img width="630" vspace="4" hspace="0" height="487" border="1" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/fordsantos.jpg" alt="Santos" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Santos, Ford's manufacturing avatar - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
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Technology is your friend, but no one said it's always going to be <strike>not creepy</strike> nice to look at. The fellow there next to the Ford Fiesta is named "Santos." He's a U.S. Department of Defense creation working part-time at Ford as a "computerized avatar." His job? To perform "actions in the virtual world that can allow Ford to improve quality, safety and ergonomics in factories before an assembly line is built."<br />
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Translation: Santos and his virtual musculoskeletal structure can test assembly line procedures at The Blue Oval, helping production-line engineers organize stations in a manner that maximizes efficiency and worker comfort. We're just waiting for the day when Santos says, "The most efficient way to do this is... to eliminate the humans." Enjoy the gallery of high-res photos below and the video after the jump - while you still can.<br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/low/">Santos, Ford's vitual manufacturing avatar</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/sanosdramatic_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/sanosrun_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/shisantosfordfiesta_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/22/ford-hires-virtual-soldier-from-military-as-assembly-line-avatar/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ford hires U.S. military's virtual soldier as assembly line avatar</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/22/ford-hires-virtual-soldier-from-military-as-assembly-line-avatar/">Ford hires U.S. military's virtual soldier as assembly line avatar</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Sat, 22 May 2010 09:32:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/22/ford-hires-virtual-soldier-from-military-as-assembly-line-avatar/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19484514/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/22/ford-hires-virtual-soldier-from-military-as-assembly-line-avatar/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Santos, Ford's manufacturing avatar - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Technology is your friend, but no one said it's always going to be <strike>not creepy</strike> nice to look at. The fellow there next to the Ford Fiesta is named "Santos." He's a U.S. Department of Defense creation working part-time at Ford as a "computerized avatar." His job? To perform "actions in the virtual world that can allow Ford to improve quality, safety and ergonomics in factories before an assembly line is built."<br />
<br />
Translation: Santos and his virtual musculoskeletal structure can test assembly line procedures at The Blue Oval, helping production-line engineers organize stations in a manner that maximizes efficiency and worker comfort. We're just waiting for the day when Santos says, "The most efficient way to do this is... to eliminate the humans." Enjoy the gallery of high-res photos below and the video after the jump - while you still can.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/low/">Santos, Ford's vitual manufacturing avatar</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/sanosdramatic_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/sanosrun_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/santos-fords-vitual-manufacturing-avatar/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/shisantosfordfiesta_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/22/ford-hires-virtual-soldier-from-military-as-assembly-line-avatar/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ford hires U.S. military's virtual soldier as assembly line avatar</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/22/ford-hires-virtual-soldier-from-military-as-assembly-line-avatar/">Ford hires U.S. military's virtual soldier as assembly line avatar</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Sat, 22 May 2010 09:32:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/22/ford-hires-virtual-soldier-from-military-as-assembly-line-avatar/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19484514/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/22/ford-hires-virtual-soldier-from-military-as-assembly-line-avatar/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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