One of the biggest problems with self-driving cars is how they can communicate with humans, both passengers in the vehicle and other drivers and pedestrians.

Google just received a patent for communicating with pedestrians:

The patent describes using electronic screens mounted on the side of the vehicle — including potentially the roof, hood and rear of vehicle — to tell a pedestrians if it was safe to cross. The displays might show a stop sign, a traffic sign, or just text. The car might react by coming to a complete stop, slowing down and yielding, or maintaining its speed.

It’s interesting how basic this technology is, compared to the dream of direct, vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

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Originally published at www.davidincalifornia.com on November 29, 2015.