
Google patents safety system that glues pedestrians to cars - awqrre
http://www.gizmag.com/google-patent-glue-pedestrians-cars-accident/43438/
======
parenthephobia
The patent application seems dubious.

Under WIPO guidelines "the invention must be disclosed in an application in a
manner sufficiently clear and complete to enable it to be replicated by a
person with an ordinary level of skill in the relevant technical field."

The European Patent Office has a similar rule requiring that it can be
"reproducible without undue burden".

USPTO says that "the specification must be in clear, full, concise, and exact
terms to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which the
invention pertains to make and use the same."

But as the article says, Google don't actually know what to make the adhesive
out of. The patent defines the properties it must have, but presumably no such
adhesive exists or they'd know what to make it out of. So, the patent
application seems invalid to me.

The article also says "of course like many patents, the technology might never
materialize," which is entirely at odds with the purpose of patents. One
shouldn't, per the rules, be able to get a patent until the technology _has_
materialized.

~~~
a3n
> Google don't actually know what to make the adhesive out of. The patent
> defines the properties it must have, but presumably no such adhesive exists
> or they'd know what to make it out of. So, the patent application seems
> invalid to me.

Yeah, it sounds more like an RFP than a patent app.

Why hasn't anyone patented near light speed transportation yet?

------
sageikosa
Vehicular assault coupled with false imprisonment.

------
Zigurd
Obviously macabre but probably would save lives. People are injured and killed
by deer and other animals coming in through the windshield and subsequently
kicking wildly in a panic. Humans are gravely injured by secondary impacts. If
this system reduces those occurrences, it will save lives.

~~~
awqrre
It could also increase injuries in other instances... think car fires, car
hitting walls, car falling down ravines, car flipping, etc...

~~~
RIMR
Even seatbelts kill people, but we still wear them because it's more likely
that you'll be killed by _not_ wearing one.

~~~
awqrre
Yes, if something saves lives doesn't mean that it doesn't cause more death
then it saves... the other way around is also true of course...

------
narag
I can't help imagining someone getting glued to the car and being paraded all
around the city :-(

~~~
nobodyshere
And it will likely happen. Drunk drivers won't care.

~~~
RIMR
Implying that Google's cars will have a driver...

~~~
nobodyshere
I might have missed that part. First I thought it'd be a solution for
traditional vehicles.

~~~
narag
Actually robots and drunk drivers share some traits, like lack of common
sense.

------
jws
Deer strikes are going to be ugly.

~~~
Zigurd
I think you mean tasty

------
eternalban
If you can patent that, then I've got the solution to rubber necking. Who
wants to invest? ~;)

------
gambiting
Car has an accident and catches fire - what happens to the pedestrian glued to
the bonnet then?

