The ever evolving software behind Google’s self driving car treats cyclists as a special category of moving objects. The software can detect if a cyclist raises their arm to change lane or to take a turn and corresponds accordingly by yielding to the cyclist until they have either taken the turn or moved back into their lane. This technology has been patented by Google and it has the snappy title of ‘Cyclist hand signal detection by an autonomous vehicle’. You can check out the patent here.

And it’s not just in front that the car is watching out for bikes. When stopped at a crossroads waiting to turn right, it watches out for cyclists approaching from behind and it won’t make the turn until the rider is safely past. The update doesn’t mention anything about the car doors but we’re pretty sure that Google will build in the technology to lock the doors while any moving objects are passing by them.

Testing is taking place at Google HQ in Mountain View and feedback from everyday riders who have encountered them is really good. One cyclist said that the Google cars “Give space, drive at a good pace, aren’t erratic, always signal. I trust them more than people behind the wheel.”

Here is a link to a detailed blog post written after a test ride in one of the self drive cars.