If self-driving cars really do take over our roads then things are going to be a lot safer — at least for people inside them. Vehicles will be able to constantly communicate with one another to prevent crashes, but what about those poor, unconnected humans? Or humans who might wander into traffic by accident, or decide to test the reflexes of Mr. Robo-Car for fun? Well, Google’s self-driving spinoff Waymo has one potential answer: softer cars.

As spotted by The Mercury News, Waymo recently patented a car design in which the vehicle is held together internally with a number of “tension members.” These members — which could be cables, rods, or springs — would slacken or tighten to adjust the car’s “external rigidity” as needed. If sensors…

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