Autonomous Vehicles

USDOT awards $10 million to OU-led autonomous freight movement project

For autonomous robots, not all rules are equal

A new rulebooks framework developed by Iowa State University researchers provides a principled way for autonomous systems to rank and reconcile competing goals. The framework avoids the issues of blending weighted trade-offs, allowing systems to clearly define which rules come first and choose the least harmful option.

New deep reinforcement learning framework could improve eco-driving for hybrid electric vehicles

Researchers propose an integrated eco-driving framework using deep reinforcement learning to optimize motion trajectory planning and energy management. The framework achieves substantial improvements in transverse-longitudinal comfort, energy economy, and power system health, while reducing hydrogen consumption and driving costs.

New learning-based motion planning policy could make intelligent vehicles drive more personally

Researchers propose a personalized longitudinal motion planning policy combining reinforcement learning and imitation learning for intelligent vehicles. The approach adapts driving style to target drivers while meeting performance requirements, promoting human-like behavior and increasing acceptance.

How can science support and enable the High Seas Treaty?

A new study provides a solutions-focused pathway to implementing the High Seas Treaty, highlighting the need for enhanced data resources and sharing. The researchers identify major scientific and technical developments that can help address challenges in biodiversity monitoring and connectivity between areas.

Study examines how autonomous vehicles may change morning commutes

Researchers examined how autonomous vehicles affect morning commutes and parking in business districts, finding that AVs could increase vehicle hours and miles traveled. Urban planners can adapt policies to accommodate AVs by adjusting parking fees or infrastructure, reducing total system cost by up to 28.5 percent.

Here's why seafarers have little confidence in autonomous ships

A Norwegian University of Science and Technology study highlights seafarers' concerns about autonomous ships' technical safety, trust in technology, and crew competence. The researchers aim to ensure safer use of advanced technology and increase seafarers' trust in autonomy by addressing the challenges highlighted by the seafarers.

Photonic chips advance real-time learning in spiking neural systems

Researchers developed photonic computing chips that enable fast, all-optical learning and decision making, overcoming key limitations for photonic spiking neural systems. The new chips could improve autonomous driving technologies and enable robotic systems that learn through real-world interactions.

Extra ‘set of eyes’ for self-driving cars: Roadside radar sensors could reduce blind spots

Roadside radar sensors like EyeDAR enhance automotive radar systems by capturing reflections from obstacles, reducing blind spots and improving sensing accuracy. This technology has potential applications in robots, drones, and wearable platforms, complementing artificial intelligence with analog design.

Innovative LED matrix taillight system enables reliable vehicle-to-vehicle communication for platooning without networks

A groundbreaking system repurposes a vehicle's taillight as an LED matrix transmitter to enable data transmission between vehicles in platoons. The approach eliminates the need for roadside units or photodetectors, offering a secure and low-cost solution for V2V communication.

UC Irvine researchers expose critical security vulnerability in autonomous drones

Researchers from UC Irvine have discovered a critical security vulnerability in autonomous target-tracking drones that can be exploited using an ordinary umbrella. The team demonstrated how attackers could use the 'FlyTrap' attack framework to manipulate drones, drawing them close enough for capture or causing them to crash.

The psychology of self-driving cars: Why the technology doesn’t suit human brains

The article highlights the psychological demands of self-driving cars on human brains, citing Professor McLeod's research and personal experience. He emphasizes the need for clearer interfaces, simulation-based training, and updated driving tests to address these challenges and ensure safe automation uptake across society.

TU Graz and Magna open the advanced driving simulation center

The Advanced Driving Simulation Center enables researchers to realistically test and optimize vehicles, chassis, and advanced driver assistance systems. The simulator's high bandwidth generates fine vibrations, crucial for optimizing electric vehicle comfort.

Forestry is becoming digital and automated

The COMET project AutoForst aims to increase safety, alleviate labor shortages, and improve forest logistics with digital and automated systems. Researchers will develop sensor and camera systems to recognize critical situations during loading and automate transport systems.

Interactive cognition of self-driving: A multi-dimensional analysis model and implementation

Researchers developed a multi-dimensional analysis model to understand self-driving vehicles' behavior, incorporating perceptual and behavioral intelligence. The model enables rigorous evaluation of interactive cognition abilities, supporting human-vehicle-friendly interaction and fostering public trust.

Can AI read humans’ minds? A new model shows it’s shockingly good at it

A breakthrough AI system called OmniPredict can predict human pedestrian behaviors with unprecedented accuracy, revolutionizing self-driving cars and urban mobility. The model combines visual cues with contextual information to anticipate pedestrians' next moves, reducing the risk of accidents and improving traffic safety.

Socially aware AI helps autonomous vehicles weave through crowds without collisions

Researchers developed a socially aware prediction-to-control pipeline to enable autonomous vehicles to safely weave through dense crowds. The integrated framework achieved zero safety violations and maintained comfortable motion while meeting real-time computing limits.

Drones could cut travel delays and reduce spoilage of donated blood, new Concordia study shows

Researchers developed a drone-aided mobile blood collection system to transport donated blood in cities. The model uses drones to shuttle between bloodmobiles and a central blood centre, eliminating traffic delays and ensuring fresh blood reaches the lab quickly.

Who watches the AI watchman?

A team of researchers at the University of Waterloo developed a framework that uses mathematical tools and machine learning to rigorously check and verify the safety of AI-driven systems. The framework has been tested on challenging control problems and matched or exceeded traditional approaches.

£250 million defence deal enables University of Plymouth to drive innovations in advanced marine technology

The £250 million investment will create an Advanced Marine Technology Hub at the University of Plymouth, leveraging its expertise in autonomous marine systems, maritime cyber security, and renewable energy. This initiative aims to boost the city's economy and enhance UK's national resilience.

Eco-driving measures could significantly reduce vehicle emissions

A large-scale modeling study led by MIT researchers reveals that dynamically adjusting vehicle speeds can cut annual city-wide intersection carbon emissions by 11-22%. Implementing eco-driving measures could also result in a 25-50% reduction in CO2 emissions if only 10% of vehicles adopt the technology.

Next generation of autonomous drones will harness wind like an albatross

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are developing drones that can optimize wind in real time using a principle called dynamic soaring, inspired by albatrosses. The project aims to turn wind into an advantage for drones, reducing energy loss and increasing efficiency.

How brain-inspired analog systems could make drones more efficient

Researchers at the University of Rochester are developing biologically inspired predictive coding networks for digital image recognition using analog circuits, which could lead to more efficient drones. The team aims to approach the performance of existing digital approaches and translate it to complex perception tasks needed by self-d...

SwRI completes 8-year-long NEXTCAR energy efficiency project

SwRI's award-winning NEXTCAR project successfully completed its 8-year-long connected and automated vehicle technology project. The completed SwRI NEXTCAR vehicle demonstrated up to 30% energy savings compared to traditional hybrid vehicles.

Michigan's air mobility research corridor to advance electric air travel and beyond-line-of-sight drones

The Michigan Air Mobility Research Corridor will test advanced air mobility technologies, including battery-powered aircraft and autonomous systems. The corridor, spanning 40 miles from Ann Arbor to Detroit, aims to enable safe and efficient flight testing.

Driving assistance systems could backfire

New research suggests that driving assistance systems can backfire by making drivers less attentive and increasing hazardous behaviors. The study analyzed data from over 195,000 vehicles and found that different types of warning signals trigger opposite effects on driving behavior.

New test will help driverless cars make ‘moral’ decisions

Researchers developed a technique to study moral decision-making while driving, testing it on 274 philosopher participants. The results showed consistency across different philosophical schools of thought regarding what constitutes moral behavior in the context of driving.

New all-silicon computer vision hardware by UMass researchers advances in-sensor visual processing technology

Researchers at UMass Amherst created integrated arrays of gate-tunable silicon photodetectors that can capture dynamic visual information and classify static images with high accuracy. The technology has the potential to reduce latency in computer vision tasks, enabling applications like self-driving vehicles and bioimaging.

AI-enabled control system helps autonomous drones stay on target in uncertain environments

Researchers at MIT developed a machine learning-based adaptive control algorithm that enables autonomous drones to adapt to unknown disturbances like gusting winds. The system achieves 50% less trajectory tracking error than baseline methods in simulations.

Happy to hand over the keys to a robot? Augmented reality might help

A new study found that augmented reality can significantly increase trust in autonomous vehicles by adding, modifying or removing driving-related information. The technology uses sensors to deliver real-time data, ensuring drivers stay focused on the road while accessing critical info.

HKUST Engineering School introduces human-like driving technology for autonomous vehicles

A new cognitive encoding framework enables self-driving cars to 'think' like human drivers, reducing overall traffic risk by 26.3%. This system integrates social sensitivity, allowing AVs to prioritize pedestrian protection while minimizing harm to nearby vehicles.

New verification framework uncovers safety lapses in self-driving system autoware

Researchers used a new verification framework to test the safety of Autoware, revealing potential limitations in critical traffic situations. The study found that Autoware failed to consistently follow safety rules during scenarios like cut-in, cut-out, and deceleration, highlighting the need for improvement before real-world deployments.

Farm robot autonomously navigates, harvests among raised beds

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University developed an autonomous driving algorithm for robots to navigate raised cultivation beds, utilizing lidar point cloud data. The system enables precise movement and accuracy in both virtual and actual environments, promising to expand tasks beyond harvesting to monitoring and pruning.

Philosophy: cultural differences in exploitation of artificial agents

Researchers found people in Japan are less likely to exploit cooperative AI agents compared to humans, while Westerners take advantage of robots more often due to guilt over human exploitation. Cultural differences may shape the future of automation.

New sensor could help prevent lithium-ion battery fires and explosions

Researchers have developed a new sensor to detect hazardous gas leaks in lithium-ion batteries, which could prevent catastrophic failures and enhance the reliability of battery-powered technologies. The sensor detects trace amounts of ethylene carbonate vapour, targeting potential battery failures before they escalate into disasters.

Wayne State University research making strides in autonomous vehicle and machine systems to make them safer, more effective

A Wayne State University researcher is working on an integrated architecture to enhance the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles. The project aims to address complex issues with timing accuracy and schedulability analysis, enabling safe operation of autonomous systems.

IMDEA Networks participates in a European project to create 6G networks that interact intelligently with reality

The project aims to create perception and communication technologies enhancing healthcare, industrial automation, and real-time environmental interaction. IMDEA Networks is focusing on an energy-efficient network perception system and developing machine-learning algorithms for multi-static sensing.

UC Irvine study shines headlights on consumer driverless vehicle safety deficiencies

A recent study by UC Irvine researchers found that multicolored stickers can be used to confuse self-driving vehicle AI algorithms, leading to hazardous operations. The attack vectors were demonstrated to be easily deployable and inexpensive, with the potential to exploit spatial memorization designs in commercial TSR systems.

Self-driving cars learn to share road knowledge through digital word-of-mouth

Researchers develop system for self-driving vehicles to share AI models, allowing them to learn from each other's experiences even when they don't meet directly. The Cached Decentralized Federated Learning approach enables vehicles to train locally and share models with others, improving learning efficiency and adaptability.

Roadway safety research, automated vehicle testing join forces at U-M

The University of Michigan is merging its transportation safety research with automated vehicle testing to improve roadway safety. The move marks the institution's 60th anniversary and includes Mcity, a public/private partnership test facility, to develop connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Submersible robot surfs water currents

Researchers developed a submersible robot that leverages vortices to boost efficiency in autonomous underwater vehicles. By 'surfing' vortex rings, CARL reduces energy consumption by one-fifth compared to traditional methods.

How simple prompts can make partially automated cars safer

A new study found that driving-related conversational prompts improve driver performance in taking control of the vehicle, but only when drivers are engaged. Conversely, non-driving related tasks like solving anagrams can significantly decrease performance and render prompts ineffective.

Navigating a safer path for autonomous vehicles

Researchers are developing a software framework for crowd-sourced 3D map generation and visual localization from camera data to improve real-time updates and low-cost visual localization. This technology aims to advance self-driving vehicles and enable fully automated transportation

Influential robotics journal picks UVA paper as Best of 2024

The University of Virginia's AI-powered vision system, mimicking praying mantis eyes, has been selected as the best paper of 2024 by Science Robotics. The innovative system enables machines to track objects in 3D space, addressing limitations in current visual data processing.

Traffic jams? Let's learn from ants

A team of researchers from UniTrento examined how ants manage traffic congestion using pheromone trails and observed individual ant movements. Their findings could provide a model for optimizing autonomous vehicle traffic flow, reducing congestion and emissions.

Driving autonomous vehicles to a more efficient future

Researchers optimized the design of sensors in autonomous vehicles to reduce aerodynamic drag, resulting in a 3.44% decrease in total drag and 5.99% reduction in aerodynamic drag coefficient. This improvement enables longer driving ranges for self-driving cars.

Human-like artificial intelligence may face greater blame for moral violations

A new study reveals that people tend to assign more blame to artificial intelligences perceived as having human-like minds. The researchers found that participants blamed the AI more than other parties involved in real-world moral transgressions, such as companies or governments.

UC3M investigates how to improve seat belts with a gender perspective

Researchers at UC3M are conducting a pioneering study on how morphological differences between men and women affect road safety systems, specifically seat belts. The study aims to improve protection for vehicle occupants regardless of gender, as anatomical and behavioural differences may lead to increased risk of injury.

Mcity unveils digital twin, making its physical AV testing facility available for free in the virtual world

The Mcity Test Facility's first open-source digital twin enables researchers to test autonomous algorithms in a virtual environment. The digital twin introduces real-world data and simulated safety-critical events, accelerating the development of connected and automated vehicle software.

Distractions significantly delay remote drivers’ reaction time

Research shows that remote drivers' reaction time is significantly slowed by distractions and disengagement, increasing response latency and impairing decision-making. This poses serious safety concerns for Level 4 automated vehicles, which rely on remote drivers to make critical decisions.

Introducing the Machine Intelligence Quotient: A new standard for evaluating autonomous vehicle intelligence

Researchers developed a comprehensive methodology to quantify intelligence attributes in autonomous vehicles, harmonizing physical, cognitive, and functionality domains. The MIQ framework provides a transformative approach that benchmarks intelligence and fosters human-like cognition.

Researchers develop AI tool to safeguard vehicles from cyber threats

The authors propose an ML-based authentication mechanism to solve privacy and security issues in the emerging Internet of Vehicle (IoV) ecosystem. The proposed scheme is lightweight, effective, and minimizes bandwidth consumption and delay.

National Science Foundation supports Hoda Eldardiry's research to enhance AI ethics education

Hoda Eldardiry receives $349,360 grant from NSF to develop practical competencies for students to apply ethical principles in AI system design. Her team aims to engage industry professionals to translate AI ethics into concrete decision-making.

Yang developing integrated evaluation cyberinfrastructure towards safe a dependable autonomous driving systems

Dr. Lishan Yang is developing an automated tool called MELIOREM to enhance the safety of autonomous vehicles through rigorous testing and simulation. The project aims to identify potential safety issues before they affect public roads, ensuring dependability and safety for all road users.

Reinforcement learning paves the way for safer and smarter highway autonomous vehicles

A recent study reviews advancements in reinforcement learning for autonomous vehicle control, highlighting similarities and differences in DRL formulations and training algorithms. The research aims to enhance RL applications, making autonomous vehicles more capable of handling complex traffic situations under uncertain conditions.

How to design autonomous machines that are more reliable and less costly

Researchers propose a new approach to reduce the tradeoff between overhead and protecting machines against vulnerabilities. The 'Vulnerability-Adaptive Protection Paradigm' applies different protection strategies to different parts of the system, allocating resources more wisely.

Helping robots zero in on the objects that matter

A new method called Clio allows robots to make task-relevant decisions by identifying the parts of a scene that matter. In real experiments, Clio successfully mapped scenes at different levels of granularity based on natural-language prompts and enabled robots to grasp objects of interest.

Autonomous vehicles can be imperfect — As long as they’re resilient

A team of researchers aims to improve autonomous vehicle safety by identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in software and hardware. They plan to use knowledge gained from a $926,737 NSF award to design protection mechanisms that can be applied selectively to ensure safety while maximizing efficiency.

Autonomous vehicles could understand their passengers better with ChatGPT, research shows

Researchers at Purdue University found that autonomous vehicles can interpret and respond to commands from passengers using large language models like ChatGPT. This technology allows the vehicle to personalize its driving to a passenger's satisfaction and take into consideration traffic rules, road conditions, and weather.

Wijesekera receives funding for FHWA driving simulator support research: Hands-on support for CDA/CARMA - ARCHER Integration Phase I

Duminda Wijesekera has received $40,000 in funding to evaluate and test the Nvidia Drive Sim for full integration with CDA/CARMA. He will also assess the advantages and disadvantages of using Drive Sim and Omniverse for autonomous vehicle simulations.