Here's How Experts Are Protecting Pedestrians, Cyclists From Self-Driving Cars
While self-driving vehicles could improve safety for people inside the car, questions remain about how pedestrians could be impacted.
Astro Studios in San Francisco has suggested several methods to shield the public from collisions with autonomous vehicles, including integrating a laser projection in autonomous vehicles that could extend from the car and project its path ahead of where it is going to alert pedestrians and cyclists that a car is coming, Fast Company reports.
Astro has also designed a number of smart infrastructure systems, including a road that could shift upward if it predicts an impending impact in order to create a buffer between a human and a car. The company recommends integrating magnets into roads so streets can grab a car and hold it still until a pedestrian has safely crossed in front of it. This concept is similar to some that have already been put in place such as self-heating and electric-charging roads.
In addition to roadways, Airbus may soon be introducing an autonomous aircraft to the public after it had a successful flight in January. The technology will still have to face additional testing and trips before it is officially launched, but experts have predicted the rate of development may lead to autonomous flight emerging on the market before autonomous driving, TechCrunch reports.
