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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGoogle patent: Glue would stick pedestrian to self-driving car after collision
Not The Onion!
But the firm is exploring an unusual solution. Think flypaper.
The company received a patent Tuesday describing a way to reduce pedestrian injuries in an accident with a robotic vehicle. The impact of the crash, Google suggests, would expose a coating that glues the person to the front of the car.
"The adhesive layer may be a very sticky material and operate in a manner similar to flypaper, or double-sided duct tape," the patent said.
Wouldn't that work for any car?
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)Since accidents don't happen the way we want them to, I bet this idea works up until the first person to get ripped apart.
immoderate
(20,885 posts)--imm
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)they need to be tested first before being rolled out into commercial self-driving cars.
But, first, prevents people from being thrown onto pavement/street, other obstacles, that cause further injury. Also might prevent them from being pulled under and run over by those cars and trucks large enough for this to happen.
The self-driving car could be programmed to stop and alert authorities automatically when such an incident occurs. I would say it could even drive the victim to the hospital itself, but I don't know if that would be ideal due to head/neck injuries and whether the car would be able to properly immobilize them for transport.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)of control, hits a wall, bursts into flames. Did anyone think this through?
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)joeybee12
(56,177 posts)How can they be sure the tape will hold the entire person, and not just part depending on where he/she was hit...I can see a person half-flapping along down the road.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Killer Driverless Car scenes from the movie Crash (1977)
Killdozer
The Devil is behind this!!!
THE CAR (1977, trailer) James Brolin
Takket
(21,578 posts)If not... I don't get why they would do this.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)so I don't know if they've put crash test dummies up on the streets.
bluesbassman
(19,375 posts)They're the ones walking around with their eyes glued to an iPhone.
ret5hd
(20,500 posts)The immediate goal is to get that patent filed so that if it does happen to decrease injuries Google has the patent on it.
They might or might not put any money into finding out if it actually works. They just don't want to pay anyone else for it if it does.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,322 posts)...
"If you had a pedestrian stuck on a car that then crashed into something else, that could be worse than if the pedestrian was thrown to the side or thrown over the car. It could also be better. It's very dependent on the chaos of the situation," Smith said. "The history of progress is replacing one set of problems with another set of problems and just really hoping that your new set of problems in aggregate is less than your original problem."
http://www.mercurynews.com/drive/ci_29905115/google-patent-protects-pedestrians-from-self-driving-cars
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)"sticky hood" could theoratically prevent that. Though a LOT of safety testing would have to be done.
CompanyFirstSergeant
(1,558 posts)...wash it?
Codeine
(25,586 posts)Almost like a super-thin ablative armor that, when struck, shatters and falls away, exposing the adhesive. How well that would work in practice I can't even begin to speculate.
CompanyFirstSergeant
(1,558 posts)...would stick to the car.
The first person would just have the coating on them.
And they expect us to take this seriously?
0rganism
(23,957 posts)interesting idea, not convinced though
dembotoz
(16,808 posts)beevul
(12,194 posts)Maybe if they turn GTMO into a theme park, this could be one of the attractions.
Sometimes the stupid burns...