Future cars are going to be a lot smarter. There are already technologies in the works that will reduce accidents and make life easier for drivers. Jaguar Land Rover’s ‘Bike Sense’ research aims to prevent cycling accidents on the road. It will tap the driver on the shoulder and ring a bicycle bell inside the car. It will make door handles buzz the driver’s hand to prevent doors being opened into the path of bikes.
The accelerometer pedal will vibrate if moving the car would cause an accident. Here is how the technology works:
If a bicycle or motorbike is coming up the road behind the car, Bike Sense will detect if it is overtaking or coming past the vehicle on the inside, and the top of the car seat will extend to ‘tap’ the driver on the left or right shoulder. The idea is that the driver will then instinctively look over that shoulder to identify the potential hazard.
As the cyclist gets closer to the car, a matrix of LED lights on the window sills, dashboard and windscreen pillars will glow amber and then red as the bike approaches. The movement of these red and amber lights across these surfaces will also highlight the direction the bike is taking.
You can find out more about this research project here.
