Google are designing & testing a pedestrian trap that is an adherent (‘sticky’) surface material placed on the bonnets of driverless cars.
This is designed to ‘capture’ a pedestrian who’s been hit by a vehicle and then prevent the person from rolling off into the path of other vehicles.
A protective layer which breaks upon being impacted by a pedestrian covers the front section of the vehicle & minimises other debris from adhering to & fouling the safety feature.
This is just one of the many areas in the automotive sector where research & development is forging ahead.
We suppose the only questions that remain are:-
- If this amount of money can be invested in auto sector development why can’t similar (and often lesser amounts) be invested in isolated, safe cycling networks that would provide people with cost effective, healthy transport?
- As the number of cleaner, driverless electric vehicles increases & air pollution is reduced, will it mean your travel time between points A & B becomes more efficient?
- So have we really been that innovative?
- Or have we simply invented something that ‘appears’ innovative?