Roadway projection system

A system configured to assist a driver of a vehicle with performing driving actions, the system comprising:

• a sensor array configured to gather data associated with a roadway on which the vehicle is capable of traveling;
• an image projector configured to project images onto a projectable area associated with the roadway;
• and
• a computing device, configured to:
• process the data gathered by the sensor to identify a driving action that the driver is attempting to perform,
• determine a directive for assisting the driver of the vehicle with performing the driving action, wherein the directive comprises a minimum distance between the vehicle and other vehicles that the driver of the vehicle prefers to maintain,
• generate an image that shows the directive, wherein the image shows a bounding zone that substantially surrounds the vehicle, and
• project the image onto the projectable area, wherein the projectable area includes at least a portion of the roadway.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, causes the processing unit to assist a driver of a vehicle with negotiating driving scenarios, by performing the steps of:

• gathering data associated with a varied terrain on which the vehicle is capable of traveling;
• determining a directive for assisting the driver of the vehicle with negotiating a driving scenario on the varied terrain;
• projecting a test pattern onto at least one surface proximate to the vehicle;
• identifying, based on the test pattern that is projected, one or more non-projectable objects proximate to the vehicle upon which images should not be projected;
• generating a projectable area to exclude the one or more non-projectable objects, wherein the projectable area includes at least a portion of the varied terrain;
• generating an adjusted image that shows the directive for assisting the driver with negotiating the driving scenario on the varied terrain;
• projecting the adjusted image onto the projectable area.

A computer-implemented method for visualizing a driving action to be performed by a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• gathering data associated with a roadway on which the vehicle is capable of traveling;
• projecting a test pattern onto at least one surface proximate to the vehicle;
• identifying, based on the test pattern that is projected, one or more non-projectable objects proximate to the vehicle upon which images should not be projected;
• generating a projectable area to exclude the one or more non-projectable objects;
• generating an image that shows a directive for assisting the driver of the vehicle with performing a driving action;
• and
• projecting the image onto the projectable area.