via Autoblog

Google has filed a patent that would see drivers use gestures to control a vehicle, according to a report from Engadget. The system, if it ever arrives in the automobile, would use a depth camera mounted on the roof of the car and a laser scanner. Looks like automotive technology will be taking a giant leap in the days ahead when Google gets it in their driverless cars. One thing that is not noted in the Autoblog article is Google’s recent acquisition of Flutter, a startup that makes a desktop app of the same name that allows users to control other applications using hand gestures.  Information Week offers a few more details: Flutter works by capturing the user’s hand gesture on a computer’s webcam and then translating the gesture, using image processing techniques, into a specific command in supported applications. It can be used, for example, to play and pause songs playing in iTunes on a Mac or Windows computer with just a wave of the hand.

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Image courtesy: United States Patent and Trademark Office via Autoblog

(Source: Mashable)

In line with its tradition of producing many of the safest cars on  this planet, Volvo is once again upping the contributions towards road user safety.  Mind you, this is not just occupant safety but also one that cares about the most vulnerable of all road users – the pedestrians.  The video below explains how this tech. feature will help save pedestrians during a collision.

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