Google Looks At Soft Vehicle Front To Protect The Pedestrians It May Hit

Nobody agrees on how far away we are from the day when autonomous cars will hit the road. Some people seem to believe it's 2020, but as we get closer and closer to 2018, that timeline starts to appear a little too optimistical.

Regardless, most carmakers are hard at work to come up with the most efficient hardware setup and develop the appropriate software, whether they work on it by themselves or together with other tech companies.

Google was one of the first to get involved in what has now become the industry's holy grail (which, at the moment, somehow makes Tesla the Indiana Jones as it's either the closest to getting it or the one shouting the loudest about it). A few months ago, it created a separate entity called Waymo to head the develop

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LexSucks - 8/15/2017 11:26:20 AM

+2 Boost

A 3000lb pillow will still kill you.

carloslassiter - 8/15/2017 12:11:58 PM

+2 Boost

Thank goodness no pedestrians have ever been hit by non-autonomous driving cars.

TomM - 8/15/2017 5:08:11 PM

+2 Boost

I was one of those who were - and if the Big Plate Glass display window did not shatter - I would be in pieces in a box right now. However - I would have to believe that a soft body would reduce crash resistance in other crashes.

Autonomous cars have already "hit the road" - and are being tested by several manufacturers. AND - no matter what they do - they simply will be unable to protect the public completely(In or out of the car) - accidents will happen and people will get killed. While there will be those who will claim that even one life lost is too much - people die all the time - in places where cars cannot even get to. In fact - more people die in the Bathroom of their home than any other place. I have yet to see a single attempt to outlaw bathrooms in homes to stop this!!! (A case where an outhouse is safer?)

zlives - 8/16/2017 4:33:54 PM

+2 Boost

its mostly about liability and not safety...

SanJoseDriver - 8/16/2017 5:54:06 PM

+2 Boost

This sounds like a workaround and not a solution. Instead of investing in ways to mitigate an accident, how about focusing on making sure the software is good enough to not hit a pedestrian in the first place?