Google’s self-driving cars may start communicating with pedestrians

Although self-driving cars are being developed at an impressive pace, there’s still a long way to go before they’re ready to hit the market, and a lot of obstacles that the people developing the technology need to overcome. One of these obstacles is pedestrians, with many people wondering how self-driving cars will interact with them. According to a recently granted patent, Google plans to overcome this obstacle by having its self-driving cars communicate with pedestrians directly using electronic signage, although there’s no guarantee that this patent will actually be applied. 

The doors of Google’s self-driving vehicles are currently decorated with art work. There are sunsets, flowers and parks. But the warm nature scenes may eventually have competition for that real estate from an unlikely source — utilitarian traffic signage. Google received a patent Tuesday detailing how a self-driving vehicle would determine if pedestrians were likely to cross a street, plan its next move accordingly, and then notify the pedestrians of its intent. Since the cars are being driven by a computer, a pedestrian can’t count on a hand signal or eye contact from a passenger to know a vehicle is waiting for them. The patent describes using electronic screens mounted on the side of the vehicle — including potentially the roof, hood and rear of vehicle — to tell a pedestrians if it was safe to cross. The displays might show a stop sign, a traffic sign, or just text. The car might react by coming to a complete stop, slowing down and yielding, or maintaining its speed. The patent also suggests some other options. A speaker on the outside of the vehicle might call out alerts, such as “coming through” or “safe to cross.” Perhaps most interesting is the potential use of a robotic hand and eyes to gesture at pedestrians and make them aware that the car “sees” them.