Autonomous vehicles are being billed as a safer alternative to human-controlled transportation and, assuming the hardware functions as intended, that’s likely to be the case. But eventually a self-driving car is going to smack into a pedestrian and no company wants to hold the honor of being first.
Google’s autonomous vehicle arm, Waymo, is working on a solution to mitigate the liabilities associated with such an incident by patenting a softer car.
While the application wouldn’t necessarily have to be reserved for futuristic computer-driven automobiles, some level of digital analysis would need to be used for the system to work. Essentially, the vehicle in question would use a series of “tension members” to maintain or modify its structural rigidity — primarily rods or cables. If it collides with a harder surface, the system opts to keep things more rigid upon impact. But if the on-board systems detect something fleshy, the car’s structural rigidity is softened up.
“For example, if it is determined that a bicyclist is about to strike the hood and front bumper of the vehicle, the tension may be reduced for the tension members associated with the hood and front bumper, so as to reduce the rigidity of those surfaces,” reads the patent filing.
Since even the best self-driving car has to cope with the physics of stopping distances, the technology could be useful if it actually works. Still, implementing it might be tricky, as the design would require a fairly complex network of wires and rods in order to function. The patent’s explanation is varied and rather vague as to how the computers would control the assembly, and the diagrams aren’t much better.
Taken from the patent filing, the above photo represents a bumper (with the top being the forward facing edge) with cables and tensioners outfitted within. Depending on the type of object the vehicle’s sensors indicate it’s about to impact, slack can be added or removed from the cables to achieve an optimal surface strength.
It sounds needlessly complex, but the same was likely said of anti-lock braking and windshield wipers when they were first drummed up in someone’s imagination.
This isn’t the first time Waymo has considered pedestrian safety in strange new ways. The Mercury News, which first spotted the patent, also referenced an earlier concept where an adhesive layer would be applied to a vehicle’s hood, causing a struck individual to stick to the vehicle “in a manner similar to flypaper, or double-sided duct tape.” The goal here is that a pedestrian adhered to the hood of a vehicle isn’t in danger of being knocked into traffic, only to be hit again.
Despite possessing an admirable objective, that remains, quite possibly, one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever heard.
[Image: Waymo]
It’s 2am every block a junkie with a squeegee is jumping infront. You’re fast out of change…
And I think,
It’s gonna be alright
Yeah,
The worst is over now
The mornin’ sun is shining
Like a red rubber ball.
Cyrkle 1966
So in the future we’re all going to be riding around in big marshmallows?
“So in the future we’re all going to be riding around in big marshmallows?”
Yes, and eating at Taco Bell!
This industry is stop-gap after boneheaded stop-gap.
They should be focusing on making the autonomous vehicle as reliable and predictable as a train on a track.
Everything else is wasted energy.
I don’t want daily chicken with an infallible robot to be my reality.
Having worked for a railroad, I wouldn’t find that very reassuring. As reliable and predictable as gravity is more like it.
Reliable and predictable autonomous vehicles are the easy part. Reliable and predictable humans are the hard part.
Why does the Waymo Casper (the friendly ghost?) have rear view mirrors?
I mean, what are you going to do if something is barreling down on you? There’s not steering wheel, there are no brakes. Nothing to do but watch the Kenworth come.
What kind of a wussy Canadian socialist article is this?
Any dumb pedestrian who jumps in front of my Ram 2500 Diesel is going to get smushed, and that’s the end of the story. Pedestrians belong on sidewalks. Vehicles belong on roads. Capiche?
As “doublechili” asked, are we supposed to drive around in marshmallows, because of stupidity?
=================
Pedestrians often have to cross roads to get to their desired sidewalk. They also share space with vehicles in many areas, such as parking lots.
Think: 4-wheeled Baymax.
Google delenda est. Bring back zombie Judge Harold Greene to bust the trust like he did with Ma Bell. That sure turned out OK. Lets see what Waymo can do absent corporate constraints.