WalkSafe – An App To Help You Cross The Road (??!!)

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Researchers at Dartmouth College and the University of Bologna in Italy have developed an Android app that uses the camera on a smart phone to detect oncoming traffic. The app relies on machine-learning and image-recognition algorithms to identify the fronts and backs of vehicles, and takes into account varying light conditions, phone tilt, and blur. When WalkSafe detects a car approaching at 30 miles per hour or faster, it vibrates the phone and makes a sound to alert the distracted user.

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Seriously!!

Clearly, the researchers are convinced that Android users are super dumb.

Ok, I'll play along. Here are a few questions:

• Agreed that the pedestrian is distracted and ignores the oncoming traffic. What about the driver? How come the driver can't see the idiotic pedestrian??
• What about the cars coming in from the other side? Ever heard of a two-way street or is that an alien concept?
• Given that the makers believe an app is needed to save us from jumping in front of an oncoming car, my next question is - Does the app start off with a splash screen - insisting that this crap will work only if the phone camera is facing the direction of the oncoming traffic?