Google Patents Adhesive Hoods For Its Autonomous Cars

With all the bugs this will collect, I wonder how often Google recommends replacing the glue, weekly in the spring and summer but monthly in the winter. Except in Florida where they come with a a support bracket for a cane or walker.

To get rid of the bugs you just re-boot the car.

...or, you reboot the DRIVER?

I am not at all impressed with the proposed new passenger position.

Could get kind of annoying after a while.....

And when the build up of pedestrians blocks the view of the car's camera, then things really get dicey!

This trumps the stick-on paper doll cutouts people put on their back windows!

This is sick and obscene beyond belief!!!

They know their car will hit you, but they don't want you to fall under it?

Sick! Sick!Sick! Sick! Sick! Sick! Sick! Sick! Sick! Sick! Sick! Sick!

I'm with you on this one.

The statement: The surface of the adhesive layer would be coated with an "eggshell-like" material that would protect THE CAR from debris, and "break away in the event of a pedestrian impact."

So, protection of the car is paramount here. When the ""eggshell-like" material" breaks away from the vehicle, it tosses the poor pedestrian away with it, to be possibly hit again by another vehicle! This is in direct conflict with what was said at the start of the article!

Unbelieveable!

You forgot this part

"The proposed adhesive will be "activated on contact and will be able to adhere to the pedestrian nearly instantaneously," the patent explains."

and this

"Vehicle bumpers are generally designed to absorb energy to prevent injury to the vehicle during a collision, but generally do not provide significant protection for a pedestrian struck by the vehicle," the patent reads."

Also Here is the source material

http://www.mercurynews.com/drive/ci_29905115/google-patent-protects-pedestrians-from-self-driving-cars

and a pertinent quote

_{"Today, when a car runs into a pedestrian, it often carries the person along until the driver brakes, throwing the victim from the vehicle, possibly leading to further injury as they hit the road or some other hard surface, or get hit by another car, the patent said. But that doesn't have to happen.}

_{The front region of the vehicle may be coated with a specialized adhesive that adheres to a pedestrian, and thus holds the pedestrian on the vehicle in the unfortunate event that the front of the vehicle comes into contact with the pedestrian," the patent said. "The adhesion of the pedestrian to the vehicle may prevent the pedestrian from bouncing off."}

I think the 'break away eggshell' feature is intended for the hood passenger pedestrian to be able to pull away on their own, after the vehicle has come to a complete stop, as a wild guess, within three feet of the impact.

Not sure how it will be strong enough to hold a struck pedestrian trying to bounce off from the impact, yet be weak enough to pull away from without assistance.

Also, like the 'self-tipping hat,' not every patent leads to a produced product.

No one told me it was April again
Jeez that was one long catnap
Del

OMG this is an autonomous car: if it has hit a pedestrian then something has already gone seriously wrong with the programming; if there's an associated fault then presumably the car may travel several miles with its involuntary passenger trying to decide whether to: try to get off, or, try to stay on.

Presumably the car is programmed to say...
"I didn't see him officer. He ran out in front of me without looking".
Del

This says a lot about the (high) fear potential for pedestrian SDV incidents by automakers.

What about when it hits a bird or animal?

Roadkill bonanza. Fresh protein.

Probably as effective as these previously patented devices.