Potential for Google's self-driving car to be capable of displaying information for pedestrians

ByMorten Just

According to the disclosed patent information, it became clear that Google is considering the function of displaying information to pedestrians in a self-driving car.

Patent #: US009196164
http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=09196164


Google patent reveals how its self-driving cars may communicate with pedestrians - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/11/27/google-patent-reveals-how-its-self-driving-cars-may-communicate-with-pedestrians/

Google's self-driving carGenuine type like a mini carThere are things that remodeled existing cars. The appearance of the one that remodeled the existing car is such feeling ......


In the published patent, the information display board is attached to the door part. In this figure it shows a ban on crossing for pedestrians.


Symbols seem to be switched, this is the display "STOP".


Furthermore, it seems that a display board is also attached to the upper part of the front grill. Here, "SAFE TO CROSS" has been shown to be safe to cross.


This patent is shown as one of the way of association between a self driving car and a pedestrian, and it is unknown whether this function is really installed in a self-driving car or not. Self-driving cars are equipped with sensors that check the circumstances of the surroundings one by one, and when there are pedestrians and bicycles trying to cross the pedestrian crossing, they decelerate / stop and display such information Even without it there is no danger to pedestrians, but it may be thought as a means to realize safer automatic operation.

By the way,Accident record published by GoogleAccording to the fact that the accident that occurred was not only the self-driving car but the one caused by the driver of the surrounding automobile, and seven out of the 13 reported were to be hit by from behind, " It is likely that accidents will be reduced if information such as "there is a front pedestrian" is displayed facing backward.