Google patent would cover its self-driving cars in human flypaper
In a new patent application, Google is looking to make its self-driving cars a little safer for pedestrians … by covering the cars in glue.
With safety being a top concern for Google’s self-driving car program, the company has been looking for ways to reduce the risks for both riders and pedestrians, and its new patent application shows just how far Google is willing to go in its search for novel solutions to old problems.
Pedestrians involved in car accidents are hit with two impacts. The first is when the car strikes them, and the second is when they hit the ground. The idea behind Google’s new patent is to prevent or at least lessen the secondary impact by making pedestrians stick to the hood of the car rather than being thrown onto the road or into another object. This could also help prevent pedestrians from being hit by other cars.
One potential problem for Google’s new idea would be how paramedics are supposed to remove injured pedestrians from the hood of the car, especially considering the fact that they are supposed to be sticky enough to hold onto a person during a collision.
There is also the fact that covering your car in human-sized flypaper means you would also be picking up all kinds of dirt, trash, and bugs, but Google offered a solution to that problem by covering the adhesive layer in a thin shell that would break open on impact, ensuring that the car stays clean and the pedestrian stays…sticky.
The idea may seem ridiculous, but then again, so do instantly-inflating balloons that prevent you from colliding with your steering wheel.
Screenshot via Patent US009340178
A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:
Support our mission to keep content open and free by engaging with theCUBE community. Join theCUBE’s Alumni Trust Network, where technology leaders connect, share intelligence and create opportunities.
- 15M+ viewers of theCUBE videos, powering conversations across AI, cloud, cybersecurity and more
- 11.4k+ theCUBE alumni — Connect with more than 11,400 tech and business leaders shaping the future through a unique trusted-based network
Are you an AWS customer? Support SiliconANGLE financially by buying your AWS services from our Marketplace portal page and links: https://siliconangle.com/aws-marketplace/
About SiliconANGLE Media
Founded by tech visionaries John Furrier and Dave Vellante, SiliconANGLE Media has built a dynamic ecosystem of industry-leading digital media brands that reach 15+ million elite tech professionals. Our new proprietary theCUBE AI Video Cloud is breaking ground in audience interaction, leveraging theCUBEai.com neural network to help technology companies make data-driven decisions and stay at the forefront of industry conversations.