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Google's self-driving car to decipher a cyclist's hand signals

Photo: Wikicommons
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Josée Paquet

Google has developed a new technology allowing its self-driving car to read and understand a cyclist's hand signals, the Washington Post reports. 

Using a number of sensors including a camera, LIDAR and RADAR, the vehicle will be able to determine whether a cyclist is present on the road, and then identify parts of his or her body. Once it zeroes in on the left arm, the system will recognize the signals made by the cyclist and act accordingly to prevent a collision.

Google has released a video explaining how the cyclist hand gesture detection system works. Interestingly, the sophisticated sensors examine the distance between the top of a person's head and the pavement, which is an indication that someone is riding a bicycle along the side of the road. They also compare the distance between the cyclist’s hand and head to determine their intentions (turn left, turn right, stop).

Josée Paquet
Josée Paquet
Automotive expert