Ford Tests Buzzing Wristbands to Keep Workers at Safe Distances
- Vibration, color-coded screens warn when workers are too close
- Part of safety measures carmaker mulling for factory restarts
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A dozen Ford Motor Co. workers are experimenting with wearable social-distancing devices that could be deployed more widely once the carmaker reopens idled manufacturing plants.
The small group of volunteers at a Ford factory in Plymouth, Michigan, are trying out watch-like wearables that vibrate when employees come within six feet of each other, said Kelli Felker, a company spokeswoman. The aim is to keep workers from breaching the distance that health experts recommend to avoid spreading the coronavirus.