Projecting visual aids onto the road to improve safety for other users is an idea we've seen before. Mercedes explored the idea through a set of clever conceptual headlights and the Xfire system lets cyclists project a virtual bike lane around them. Now Mitsubishi Electric is looking to test the waters with a projection system of its own that is designed to alert those in the area of a vehicle's next move.
Mitsubishi Electric's Safe and Secure Lighting system is, perhaps unsurprisingly, designed for use at night, when the company says 60 percent of pedestrian fatalities take place. It hopes to use illuminated projections beamed from the car to help limit the danger, which the company says could become more prevalent with the emergence of driverless cars that can make it harder to anticipate a vehicle's intentions.
For now, the system projects large clear arrows onto the road behind it when the car is about to reverse, and a triangular Wi-Fi-like symbol beside it when a door is about to open, which is one of the biggest risks for cyclists. These projections are triggered automatically by the actions of those inside the vehicle.
Mitsubishi Electric says it is continuing to develop the system to make it safer and more effective at preventing accidents. Though it will likely be a while before we see this kind of thing on the road, the company will be demonstrating some of the system's functionality in an electric Emirai concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show from October 27 to November 5.
Source: Mitsubishi