Answers.Body: <p>The AI of the car uses sensor data to process all the data and classifies objects <strong>based on the size, shape and movement patterns</strong>. It can recognize surroundings from a 360 degree perspective by making predictions about vehicles, people and objects around it will move.</p>
  
  <p>It can detect pedestrians, but as moving, <strong>column-shaped blurs of pixels</strong>, so it really cannot tell whether it's a rock or a crumpled piece of paper.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3oEduYqb4Ty6dSReKc/giphy-downsized-large.gif" alt="Google&#39;s self-driving car sees traffic"></p>
  
  <p>However it is programmed to determine certain patterns when a police officer has halted traffic or the car is being signaled to move forward.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l41lGfjhDlrSE9ILS/giphy-downsized-large.gif" alt="Google&#39;s self-driving car determines when a police officer has halted traffic or when the car is being signaled to move forward"></p>
  
  <p>It also recognizes cyclists as objects outlined in red and can slow down to let the cyclist enter into a lane.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3oEduTuU46cDCGGuC4/giphy-downsized-large.gif" alt="Google&#39;s self-driving car sees when a cyclist is trying to merge into a lane, the vehicle also knows to slow down and let the cyclist enter"></p>
  
  <p><sup>Above images are provided by Chris Urmson who heads up Google's driverless car program.</sup></p>
  
  <p>Sources:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><a href="http://www.techinsider.io/how-googles-self-driving-cars-see-the-world-2015-10/#then-it-uses-its-sensor-data-to-understand-what-it-sees-in-the-moment-the-software-processes-all-of-the-data-and-classifies-objects-based-on-size-shape-and-movement-patterns-2" rel="nofollow">How Google's self-driving cars see the world</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/530276/hidden-obstacles-for-googles-self-driving-cars/" rel="nofollow">Hidden Obstacles for Google’s Self-Driving Cars</a></li>
  <li>(video) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiwVMrTLUWg" rel="nofollow">Chris Urmson: How a driverless car sees the road</a></li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-08-12T11:42:09.947Z
Answers.Text: I see colorful pictures here, but nothing about 1) how they are generated and 2) how the car classifies what it sees. The "sources" are not suited to answer such questions, either.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Raphael
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-08-12T11:45:54.500Z
Answers.Text: @Raphael The question is how car is recognizing the people, if you're interested how they're generated or how it classifies, it's a topic for another question.
Answers.UserDisplayName: kenorb
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-08-12T11:48:09.353Z
Answers.Text: @Raphael These pictures are provided by [Chris Urmson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiwVMrTLUWg) who's the [project director](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_self-driving_car#Commercialization).
Answers.UserDisplayName: kenorb
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-08-12T02:30:20.793Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-08-13T02:51:10.783Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2016-08-13T02:51:10.783Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: kenorb
Body: <p>Based on the article <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3677950/Google-s-self-driving-cars-spot-cyclists-Sensors-read-hand-signals-predict-riders-behavior.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google's self-driving cars can now spot cyclists: Sensors can read hand signals and predict rider's behaviour</a>, Google's self-driving cars can spot cyclists, cars, road signs, markings, traffic lights, and pedestrians.</p>
  
  <p>How exactly does it identify pedestrians? Is it based on face recognition, shape, size, distance, infrared signature?</p>
  
Tags: <object-recognition><autonomous-vehicles><google>
Title: How does Google's self-driving car identify pedestrians?
UserDisplayName: kenorb
ThreadText: # How does Google's self-driving car identify pedestrians?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-08-11)
  
  Based on the article [Google's self-driving cars can now spot cyclists: Sensors can read hand signals and predict rider's behaviour](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3677950/Google-s-self-driving-cars-spot-cyclists-Sensors-read-hand-signals-predict-riders-behavior.html), Google's self-driving cars can spot cyclists, cars, road signs, markings, traffic lights, and pedestrians.
  
  How exactly does it identify pedestrians? Is it based on face recognition, shape, size, distance, infrared signature?
  
  **Tags:** object-recognition, autonomous-vehicles, google
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2016-08-12. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  The AI of the car uses sensor data to process all the data and classifies objects **based on the size, shape and movement patterns**. It can recognize surroundings from a 360 degree perspective by making predictions about vehicles, people and objects around it will move.
  
  It can detect pedestrians, but as moving, **column-shaped blurs of pixels**, so it really cannot tell whether it's a rock or a crumpled piece of paper.
  
  ![Google's self-driving car sees traffic](https://media.giphy.com/media/3oEduYqb4Ty6dSReKc/giphy-downsized-large.gif)
  
  However it is programmed to determine certain patterns when a police officer has halted traffic or the car is being signaled to move forward.
  
  ![Google's self-driving car determines when a police officer has halted traffic or when the car is being signaled to move forward](https://media.giphy.com/media/l41lGfjhDlrSE9ILS/giphy-downsized-large.gif)
  
  It also recognizes cyclists as objects outlined in red and can slow down to let the cyclist enter into a lane.
  
  ![Google's self-driving car sees when a cyclist is trying to merge into a lane, the vehicle also knows to slow down and let the cyclist enter](https://media.giphy.com/media/3oEduTuU46cDCGGuC4/giphy-downsized-large.gif)
  
  Above images are provided by Chris Urmson who heads up Google's driverless car program.
  
  Sources:
  
  * [How Google's self-driving cars see the world](http://www.techinsider.io/how-googles-self-driving-cars-see-the-world-2015-10/#then-it-uses-its-sensor-data-to-understand-what-it-sees-in-the-moment-the-software-processes-all-of-the-data-and-classifies-objects-based-on-size-shape-and-movement-patterns-2)
  * [Hidden Obstacles for Google’s Self-Driving Cars](https://www.technologyreview.com/s/530276/hidden-obstacles-for-googles-self-driving-cars/)
  * (video) [Chris Urmson: How a driverless car sees the road](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiwVMrTLUWg)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I see colorful pictures here, but nothing about 1) how they are generated and 2) how the car classifies what it sees. The "sources" are not suited to answer such questions, either.  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 The question is how car is recognizing the people, if you're interested how they're generated or how it classifies, it's a topic for another question.  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 These pictures are provided by [Chris Urmson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiwVMrTLUWg) who's the [project director](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_self-driving_car#Commercialization).  
  
  ---
  
  