Ford recruits virtual soldier to boost quality; santos feels the same strains that hu

The new guy on the Ford Motor Company assembly line is an inexhaustible tough guy with impeccable military and academic credentials. His name is Santos, a highly realistic virtual worker who doesn't just simulate motion; he records the actual physical strains of reaching, lifting and stretching. He can execute tasks autonomously. He can walk, talk and answer questions. Originally created for the U.S. Department of Defense at the University of Iowa as part of the Virtual Soldier Research (VSR) program to help reduce physical strain on soldiers, Santos has been heralded by ergonomists as a breakthrough in digital modeling.

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