University technology investment group Tekcapital PLC (LON:TEK) has confirmed its portfolio company, Guident, has filed for a new patent with US regulators.
Based on technology licensed from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Guident is developing software to improve the safety and utility of self-driving cars.
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The latest patent is called Methods and Systems for Emergency Handoff of an Autonomous Vehicle and deals with the operation and control of an autonomous vehicle in the event of an accident.
“In a recent survey by PWC, 43% of respondents indicated that a key perceived disadvantage of AVs relates to safety concerns,” said Guident chairman Harald Braun.
“We believe our new patent will help address some of these issues by defining forward-thinking, post-accident protocols.”
Tekcapital chairman Clifford Gross added: “We are delighted to see that Guident is expanding its intellectual property to cover additional software features to improve safety while using autonomous vehicles.”