X

Jaguar Land Rover's Virtual Eye Pod is pretty creepy

It's creepy, but it's all for a good cause.

Andrew Krok
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Eye Pod
1 of 8 Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover has slapped some weird quasi-googly eyes on a self-driving pod.    

Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Eye Pod
2 of 8 Jaguar Land Rover

In traditional Brit-humor fashion, it's called the Virtual Eye Pod. 

Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Eye Pod
3 of 8 Jaguar Land Rover

As a pedestrian waits to cross a fake road, the pod rolls up and its "eyes" focus on the pedestrian.   

Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Eye Pod
4 of 8 Jaguar Land Rover

Researchers then gauge the trust level in the pedestrian that the pod will let the human cross without issue.     

Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Eye Pod
5 of 8 Jaguar Land Rover

It's all part of a larger study meant to investigate the interactions between self-driving vehicles and pedestrians, and whether or not replicating human behavior in the vehicles will help foster that trust.    

Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Eye Pod
6 of 8 Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover says that, based on prior studies, nearly two-thirds of pedestrians and cyclists said they would feel less safe sharing the road with a self-driving vehicle.   

Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Eye Pod
7 of 8 Jaguar Land Rover

There is something very unnerving about a vehicle with eyes on it.     

Jaguar Land Rover Virtual Eye Pod
8 of 8 Jaguar Land Rover

I hope this never leaves the laboratory.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos