Google Nabs 2 More Self-Driving Car Patents

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Originally published on EV Obsession.

Two new patents were recently awarded to Google that are related to its autonomous car technology, according to recent reports.

The two new patents are for: interior design elements, and for external screens and speakers. The first patent pertains mostly to the sorts of design changes that are necessary if one is to remove the interior steering wheel; and the second one pertains mostly to the sorts of systems that will be needed to improve pedestrian/bicyclist awareness of the car.

Google

Our sister site Gas 2 provides a bit more info:

Google has also been awarded a second patent covering a variety of external screens and a speaker, all of which are intended to allow the car to interact with pedestrians and bicyclists.

The car could announce sweetly to people waiting to get to the other side of the road, “It is now safe to cross. I will wait for you.” Screens mounted on the hood and each door could also indicate to those outside the car when it is safe to cross ahead of it and when it is not, according to a report in the Washington Post.

Google news

Interesting. The pics are about what I was expecting… What I’m really wanting to know, though, is when people will be able to begin buying these.


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James Ayre

James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.

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