Wi-Fi Direct Pedestrian Detection is a General Motors active safety technology currently under development by the automaker that can potentially help drivers avoid collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists.
How It Works
The potential Pedestrian Detection tech would use Wi-Fi direct, a peer-to-peer wireless networking standard that allows smartphone users to easily share digital content. A car can use Wi-Fi direct to detect pedestrians and bicyclists who carry smartphones that use the same wireless standard. Cars equipped with Wi-Fi direct could some day help drivers avoid collisions in poor visibility conditions or on congested streets.
Using Wi-Fi direct, a vehicle can directly communicate with pedestrians and bicyclists without going through a wireless access point. This results in a much faster detection time and enables the vehicle to identify the locations of nearby pedestrians and bicyclists in real time.
Such a feature could be integrated with other object detection technologies such as radar and camera systems and use visual or auditory alerts to notify drivers of pedestrians on or near the roadway.
Wi-Fi direct has the potential to become an integral part of the advanced driver assistance systems offered in many GM vehicles.
App For Frequent Road Users
GM is also looking to develop a complimentary app for Wi-Fi direct-capable smartphones that can be downloaded by frequent road users such as bike messengers or construction workers that will help Wi-Fi direct-equipped vehicles identify them.
Availability
The Wi-Fi direct-based Pedestrian Detection technology described here is currently not in production and is not available on any GM vehicle. However, a Pedestrian Detection technology based on the Opel Eye front camera system is currently available and in production.