Autonomous vehicles are the current hot topic in the automotive industry, sitting right next to electrification. But to advance the technology, it needs to earn more of the public's trust. That's why Jaguar Land Rover is developing a system of lights that announce where a vehicle intends to go.

Using a series of lines illuminated onto the floor ahead of it, a self-driving car can "announce" where it's going to go, whether it will turn, and how fast. The lines will compress together to signal that the vehicle is coming to a stop and will bend sideways to indicate turns.

The system was showcased using a self-driving pod developed as part of the Autodrive project in the United Kingdom. It also utilized Jaguar Land Rover's Virtual Eye system revealed in August. These "eyes" make contact with pedestrians to help them know that the vehicle sees and understands there is someone near.

Jaguar Land Rover Future Mobility Research Manager Pete Bennett said the following in a statement.

“The trials are about understanding how much information a self-driving vehicle should share with a pedestrian to gain their trust. Just like any new technology, humans have to learn to trust it, and when it comes to autonomous vehicles, pedestrians must have confidence they can cross the road safely.”


This is all part of the company's efforts to develop their own self-driving systems.