The Smiling Car concept communicates its intention to stop by a smile that appears on the car's grill. When the self-driving car’s sensors detect a pedestrian, a signal is sent to a display at the front and a smile lights up that confirms that the car will stop at a safe distance.
Karin Eklund, a software engineer at Semcon, said: “A lot of the discussions regarding self-driving cars are about the car’s technology. But how these vehicles will interact with unprotected road users is just as important. Self-driving cars need to communicate in a way that feels familiar and creates trust.”
The next step is the possibility of refining The Smiling Car, with systems for eye tracking and laser technology, known as Lidar, for a more detailed analysis of the surrounding environment. This would make it possible to perceive small head movements or read the eyes to create an even safer interaction between humans and cars.
Semcon CEO Markus Granlund, said: “Today there are clear agreements on how cars must indicate when changing lanes. We now need to develop a common language for how self-driving cars will interact with pedestrians.”
By 2020, it is estimated 10 million cars with self-driving features will be on the road.
