Jaguar Land Rover using light projection for autonomous communication

Jaguar Land Rover has charged ahead with development of another left-field way for self-driving cars to communicate with the world around them.

The company last year released a self-driving pod with giant eyes, designed to make pedestrians feel more comfortable interacting with the vehicle, and has followed up with a test vehicle using light projection to indicate its intentions.

Rather than using its eyes to communicate, the car projects a set of beams onto the road, essentially mapping out its intended path. The faster the car is going, the further apart the bars are spaced.

It's a simple, video-game style solution designed to make life easier for pedestrians conditioned to make eye-contact with drivers.

“The trials are about understanding how much information a self-driving vehicle should share with a pedestrian to gain their trust," said Pete Bennett, future mobility research manager at Jaguar Land Rover.

"Just like any new technology, humans have to learn to trust it, and when it comes to autonomous vehicles, pedestrians must have confidence they can cross the road safely. "

Previous studies quoted by Jaguar Land Rover suggest 63 per cent of pedestrians are concerned about crossing the road with self-driving cars on the road.

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