Displaying vehicle information to a pedestrian using a visual indicator

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, based on an analysis of image data generated by one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, that the vehicle is approaching a pedestrian;

analyzing, using eye-tracking algorithms, the image data to determine eye direction of the pedestrian with respect to the vehicle;

determining, based on the eye direction of the pedestrian, that the pedestrian is unable to see the approaching vehicle;

identifying, based on image recognition analysis of the image data and the eye direction of the pedestrian, a plurality of objects within a view of the pedestrian;

generating, based on the identifying, a viewing score for each object of the plurality of objects, wherein the viewing score is representative of a closest proximity value for each object with respect to the view of the pedestrian;

selecting a first object of the plurality of objects that has the highest viewing score; and

displaying, by a visual indicator disposed on the vehicle, a visual indication that the vehicle is approaching the pedestrian on the first object.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the visual indication is displayed using a laser beam projected on to the first object.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the first object is selected from a group of objects consisting of:

a road;

a wall;

a tree; and

a second vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the visual indication is displayed on a display device that the pedestrian can currently view.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the display device is selected from a group of display devices consisting of:

a smartphone;

an electronic billboard;

a tablet;

a television screen; and

a computer screen.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a relative position of the pedestrian with respect to the approaching vehicle;

calculating a time of arrival at which the vehicle will arrive at a same location as the pedestrian, wherein the displayed visual indication includes the calculated time of arrival.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the visual indication includes an alert informing the pedestrian to perform an action.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the alert is selected from a group of alerts consisting of: warning the pedestrian to walk quickly; warning the pedestrian to exit a roadway; and warning the pedestrian to stop moving.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the vehicle is approaching the pedestrian is performed using one or more scanning sensors.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the pedestrian is no longer in a trajectory of the approaching vehicle; and

terminating the display of the visual indication on the first object.

11. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the processor and storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

detecting, based on an analysis of image data generated by one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, that the vehicle is approaching a pedestrian;

analyzing, using eye-tracking algorithms, the image data to determine eye direction of the pedestrian with respect to the vehicle;

determining, based on the eye direction of the pedestrian, that the pedestrian is unable to see the approaching vehicle;

identifying, based on image recognition analysis of the image data and the eye direction of the pedestrian, a plurality of objects within a view of the pedestrian;

generating, based on the identifying, a viewing score for each object of the plurality of objects, wherein the viewing score is representative of a closest proximity value for each object with respect to the view of the pedestrian;

selecting a first object of the plurality of objects that has the highest viewing score; and

displaying, by a visual indicator disposed on the vehicle, a visual indication that the vehicle is approaching the pedestrian on the first object.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the visual indication is displayed using a laser beam projected from the vehicle on to the first object.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises:

identifying a relative position of the pedestrian with respect to the approaching vehicle; and

calculating a time of arrival at which the vehicle will arrive at a same location as the pedestrian, wherein the displayed visual indication includes the calculated time of arrival.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

detecting, based on an analysis of image data generated by one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, that the vehicle is approaching a pedestrian;

analyzing, using eye-tracking algorithms, the image data to determine eye direction of the pedestrian with respect to the vehicle;

determining, based on the eye direction of the pedestrian, that the pedestrian is unable to see the approaching vehicle;

identifying, based on image recognition analysis of the image data and the eye direction of the pedestrian, a plurality of objects within a view of the pedestrian;

generating, based on the identifying, a viewing score for each object of the plurality of objects, wherein the viewing score is representative of a closest proximity value for each object with respect to the view of the pedestrian;

selecting a first object of the plurality of objects that has the highest viewing score; and

displaying, by a visual indicator disposed on the vehicle, a visual indication that the vehicle is approaching the pedestrian on the first object.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the visual indication is displayed using a laser beam projected from the vehicle on to the first object.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises:

identifying a relative position of the pedestrian with respect to the approaching vehicle; and

calculating a time of arrival at which the vehicle will arrive at a same location as the pedestrian, wherein the displayed visual indication includes the calculated time of arrival.