FORD

Brand studied reaction to autonomous cars with unusual ... method

The collaboration is part of an investigation of Ford and Virginia Tech created to study the reaction of pedestrians to autonomous driving. The investigation led those responsible to resort to ... unusual methods. See the video above, where you can see a driver inside a Ford disguised as a seat.
One of the problems of the autonomous cars that was verified following this investigation that still remains to solve is the communication with the pedestrians, something still nonexistent but that Ford and Virgini Tech are trying to solve. Engagdet says that certain lights on the front lights of the vehicles may be used for this purpose.
The idea is that these specific lights on the headlights serve to give visual cues to pedestrians about the intentions of vehicles. Blinking the lights twice, for example, may mean telling the pedestrian that you can cross the road.
The idea of using the headlights for this communication is that it is familiar to drivers and pedestrians alike. Ford and Virginia Tech are committed to exploring this hypothesis and are currently talking to multiple entities in the area to see if there is interest in integrating the system.



Miguel Dias