BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a mobile object and a storage medium.

Various techniques have been proposed for preventing car accidents, especially between a car and a pedestrian (including a bicycle rider). For example, JP 2006-163863T proposes a drive assist apparatus that shoots the perimeter of the car with a camera mounted thereon, and controls notification processing in accordance with a risk of the pedestrian's colliding with the car if any pedestrian is recognized on the basis of the shot image.

Hybrid cars and electric vehicles, which have recently gaining widespread use, make little noise during driven. Consequently, for example, pedestrians and bicycle riders walking and driving ahead hardly sense the car approaching, which leads to an increase in risk of a minor collision. Meanwhile, JP 2011-213317A proposes an in-vehicle approach notification system that controls a sound volume of warning sounds in accordance with driving speed of a vehicle. Specifically, the in-vehicle approach notification system can have a warning target sense the vehicle approaching without fail by use of a directional sound generator attached in a direction in which the vehicle travels, and can reduce noise for a circumferential environment such as houses facing to the street.

SUMMARY

Both of JP 2006-163863T and JP 2011-213317A describe that the apparatus and the system do not make noise because it is assumed that there is no minor collision involving a pedestrian while the cars are not driven. However, if some audio content is reproduced even while the cars are not driven, it is possible to enhance entertainment of the car.

The present disclosure therefore proposes a mobile object and a storage medium that are novel and improved, and can enhance both safety and entertainment.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile object including an imaging unit configured to capture a perimeter of the mobile object, a speaker configured to be capable of controlling directivity, a determination unit configured to determine whether the mobile object is in a driving mode, and a speaker control unit configured to control the speaker in the driving mode in a manner that predetermined audio is output toward a warning target that is recognized based on a captured image captured by the imaging unit, and to control the speaker in a non-driving mode in a manner that the predetermined audio is output in a non-directional way.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored therein, the program causing a computer to function as an imaging unit configured to capture a perimeter of a mobile object, a speaker configured to be capable of controlling directivity, a determination unit configured to determine whether the mobile object is in a driving mode, and a speaker control unit configured to control the speaker in the driving mode in a manner that predetermined audio is output toward a warning target that is recognized based on a captured image captured by the imaging unit, and to control the speaker in a non-driving mode in a manner that the predetermined audio is output in a non-directional way.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, it becomes possible to enhance both safety and entertainment.

