Google Wants To Build Sticky Bodywork To Make Running People Over Safer

Getting hit by a car is - quite obviously - an unpleasant experience, but what makes it even nastier is the whole flying off and hitting the road part of the deal. Or worse, getting dragged under the vehicle that’s just hit you, or being struck by another car. However, Google is hoping to cut out those aspects of road traffic accidents with a special bodywork that could end up being applied to its autonomous cars.

It has just applied for a patent for a material which is protected by an “eggshell-like” layer which would break upon impact with a pedestrian, revealing a sticky surface underneath. Likening the concept to flypaper, Google says the idea of this is that the unlucky man or lady would remain stuck to the bonnet, preventing them from bouncing off and receiving further injury. The material would ‘release’ the subject shortly after, so you don’t end up with a human permanently stuck to your bonnet.

Autonomous cars should be less likely to strike a pedestrian anyway, but regardless, Google thinks the tech is more than worthwhile until self-driving technology is perfected. “There are continued efforts to improve vehicle safety, including the development of autonomous vehicle equipped with accident-avoidance systems that will have the ability to avoid all accidents. However, while such systems are being developed, it must be acknowledged that, on occasion, collisions between a vehicle and a pedestrian still occur,” the company stated.

Whether or not avoiding all accidents is even possible, we’re not sure, but this sticky solution to curtail injuries in the meantime is certainly an interesting one. As to whether or not it’ll be implemented, nothing’s confirmed just yet. Speaking to San Jose Mercury News, a Google spokesperson said: “We hold patents on a variety of ideas…Some of those ideas later mature into real products and services, some don’t.”