Google has some good news for cyclists.
The tech giant is developing new onboard sensors for its self-driving vehicle fleet that will be able to gauge and interpret a cyclist’s intent.
The sensors can detect a cyclist’s hand signals as an indication of an intention to make a turn or shift over, according to the company’s June autonomous vehicle report. Cyclists often make hand signals far in advance of a turn, and Google’s software is designed to remember previous signals from a rider so it can better anticipate a rider’s turn down the road.
The built-in sensors will make sure that the autonomous cars recognize everything from unicycles to fatbikes, and stay out of the two-wheeled traffic’s way. Further, the report notes that the vehicle software is even getting advanced enough to avoid cyclists in the dark.