Google's patented flypaper-like hood aims to protect pedestrians upon crash

Google has lots of patents for products you never imagined. Just on Tuesday, it was granted a patent for an adhesive surface on the front of a car that works just like flypaper. The patent claims that the sticky layer on the hood will prevent pedestrians from bouncing off the cars if hit. It sounds crazy, but it's addressing a serious issue.

The patent was actually filed with Google's self-driving cars in mind, but it also says it could be used on any type of vehicle.

"Ideally, the adhesive coating on the front portion of the vehicle may be activated on contact and will be able to adhere to the pedestrian nearly instantaneously. This instantaneous or nearly-instantaneous action may help to constrain the movement of the pedestrian, who may be carried on the front end of the vehicle until the driver of the vehicle (or the vehicle itself in the case of an autonomous vehicle) reacts to the incident and applies the brakes. As such, both the vehicle and pedestrian may come to a more gradual stop than if the pedestrian bounces off the vehicle."

[h/t: Telegraph]

Comments

The Adorable Sculptures of Yen Yen Lo

These images are from a series of wall sculptures created by Yen Yen Lo . Here you can see her intricately textured ceramic pieces, looking downright adorable. Yen Yen Lo's eye for the unique and whimsical is delightful. Apparently they are not intended for kids under 16. Fifteen-year-olds cannot be trusted with fragile stuff. Get them a Funko Pop instead.

These skateboards look like something you'd want to hang on your wall than ride

If you're looking for the most artistic skateboards in town, then you just have to head to The Skateroom . They sell decks that feature the work of legendary artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Nobuyoshi Araki, and Ai Weiwei. Just recently, the company has teamed up with Vik Muniz to produce these beautiful decks that are true collector's items. They don't come cheap though. Each skateboard will set you back $350.

Hand-Painted Movie Posters by Tony Stella

In the 70s and 80s movie theaters in Manila were usually standalone buildings with nice seats and red curtains. To sell tickets, cinemas needed to advertise their offerings. But they did not have the original posters, or the means to print alternatives. So they made their own, commissioning local artists to hand-paint them. I really miss those hand-painted posters and billboards, which conveyed an artistry that was a form of visual hyperbole. But hand-made objects always have a way of returning. In this digital age, people will always look for things made by hand. I recently stumbled across the work of Tony Stella, whose genuinely cool movie posters have caught the eye of film enthusiasts and art lovers worldwide. He likes to work in watercolor and ink wash but sometimes he will make an oil painting, depending on the film. Tony's very active on social media, and his Tumblr blog contains a massive collection of illustrated movie posters that are often better than the original. ...

finding cain

Search This Blog