In this regard, Waymo, a self-driving car company owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, gave a potential answer: making softer cars.
On August 14, the technology media The Verge reported that Waymo recently applied for a patent for an automobile, and installed a replaceable shell on a self-driving car, which will soften if it hits a person to reduce its impact on unfortunate victims.
Illustration from Waymo patent. The horizontal line represents an adjustable "tension member" that can be relaxed or tightened to change the external stiffness of the car.
It is reported that there are many "tension parts" inside the vehicle. These components are composed of cables, springs and poles, which can be loosened or tightened as needed to adjust the "external stiffness" of the vehicle. If the sensors detect that the vehicle is about to touch another object, they will make corresponding changes-stay hard when encountering the vehicle; When you meet someone, relax appropriately.
For example, if it is determined that a cyclist will hit the hood and front bumper of a car, the tension will be reduced. The hardness of these surfaces is reduced due to the tension associated with the hood and front bumper. " In this way, those who may be hit by a car will be hurt less.
However, at present, the patent is in the sketch stage, and there is no test to show whether such a system can help save the lives of pedestrians or improve the safety of people in the car. Previously, Google also tried an idea to protect pedestrians: cover the appearance of a car with adhesive, and when it collides with an object, it can ensure that the object will not fly out and cause harm. But so far, this idea has not been proved to be feasible.
I hope that self-driving cars will be listed as soon as possible.