Pedestrian

Many cars are now equipped with pedestrian-detecting radar systems, but those systems can still be blocked by obstacles such as buildings or other vehicles. A new setup is intended to get around that problem, by taking the radar to the streets.

​Starting at the end of next year, some of Vienna's walk-light push-buttons will be disappearing from the city's pedestrian crossings. Instead, a new system will be trialled, that uses cameras and computers to visually detect when people wish to cross the road.

​Thanks to things like smartphones and automotive infotainment systems, both pedestrians and drivers are probably now less aware of one another than ever before. An experimental new crosswalk could help keep accidents from happening, however, through lights, electronic signs, and an app.

In today’s concrete jungle, pavement takes up a lot of space, so we might as well cram some smarts in there. Now NASA is installing a high-tech new path that lights up, emits Wi-Fi signals and generates electricity, due to greet visitors to the Kennedy Space Center.

Umbrellium has developed a modern take on the familiar pedestrian crossing. The Starling Crossing is aimed at putting people first, using LEDs to paint the road with markings that guide pedestrians safely across the road while also telling drivers and cyclists when to slow down, stop and go.

For those who are forever glued to their smartphones, navigating a city can be hazardous. Dodging street lights and other pedestrians without looking up is tricky, and crossing roads is downright dangerous. That's why Augsburg in Germany is trialling in-road pedestrian lights.​

The European safety organization Euro NCAP has announced the introduction of a new test to ascertain the effectiveness of pedestrian detection and autonomous braking and collision avoidance systems from different auto manufacturers.

Plans have been unveiled to reclaim a road in Mexico City from cars. Avenida Chapultepec is one of the city's busy main arteries, but is clogged with cars and splits the city. The historical road will feature an elevated park with green spaces and a layout tailored for those on foot or bike.

Getting around the streets of any busy city can be slow and frustrating. One concept for making it easier in London, however, would see pedestrians and cyclists moved below the streets. The London Underline concept proposes using the city's disused tunnels used as a network of cycle and footpaths.

Ford has announced a new "pre-collision assist" system that takes advantage of data from radar and cameras to actively detect pedestrians and automatically apply the brakes to avoid or at least reduce the severity of accidents.

Pedestrians will often ignore the "red man" at pedestrian lights in order to cross the road sooner. Unfortunately, this leads to accidents. Car manufacturer Smart created an experiment to see if it could improve safety at traffic lights by incentivizing pedestrians to wait for the green man.

Researchers in Spain have developed and tested a new system to improve safety around buses. With cameras, software, a lock mechanism and an image bank, it issues a warning when a potential risk to pedestrians is detected so the driver can react accordingly, or brings the bus to a stop if they don't.