Automaker Nissan and mobile phone network provider NTT DoCoMo Inc. are developing a system where vehicles can "look" for pedestrians in the roadway by sensing cell phone signals.
The Intelligent Transportation Systems pilot program would send the GPS data from handsets to the vehicle and alert drivers when pedestrians are in front of them. The system uses data from the 3G cellular network in Japan that indicates the location of the handsets.
While theoretically this may sound promising, I have trouble believing that the real time data can be fed accurately enough to provide any advantage over looking out of the windows. It might help if people are standing between parked cars and are hard to see, but I can imagine driving through Tokyo and having your alert system go bonkers as dozens of people at any intersection are likely to be carrying phones.
And what about the pedestrian or bicyclist who isn't armed with a phone? I'll put my faith in the sensor systems being developed that look for any kind of movement, not just for people carrying phones.
Source: Gizmag
