Google software already recognizes many cyclists’ gestures when they want to turn. The laser pointer system can also observe the rider’s riding status and predict what they might do next. Google says its self-driving cars can even “remember” the cyclist’s hand movements as they move away from the intersection to better predict whether the cyclist will then make a turn.
In other cases, Google’s self-driving cars will be even more polite than real drivers. If the sensor of a self-driving car detects that a cyclist is passing by a parked car with the door open, the self-driving car will give the cyclist more riding space. If Google cars want to overtake bicycles, the system requires them to provide each other with “ample buffers.” In addition, Google has tested its self-driving cars’ response to different bicycles, including front and rear tandem bicycles and unicycles.
When the company was still a division within Google, it filed a patent application that provided the car with a coating similar to a fly-stick paper on the hood. If the car hit a pedestrian, the victim would be injured. Sticks to the hood without being thrown out, preventing further injury.
A patent was recently obtained for a self-driving car that reduces the stiffness of the car when sensors sense an impending collision.
The impact of the vehicle is the main cause of vehicle damage. Therefore, it is desirable for the laser pointer to design a vehicle capable of reducing the impact force generated during a collision. Reducing the stiffness of a car can reduce the damage it causes to other vehicles or people.