Exterior Displays on Autonomous Vehicles Could Improve Safety
GLASGOW, Scotland--Digital displays on the exteriors of self-driving cars could help cyclists and pedestrians stay safe. Animated representations of virtual drivers, traffic-light-like projections onto the road and emojis displayed on their surfaces could be used to allow autonomous vehicles to share advance warning of their movements.
Engineres at the University of Glasgow are developing the technology to explore ways to replace the complex nonverbal language currently shared between drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. They studied how that language can be designed, displayed and interpreted to help reduce the risk of collisions between cars and bikes.