GW Expert: Self-Driving Taxi Service Waymo Expands into Two California Cities

Waymo, Alphabet’s robotaxi service, is now expanding service into Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area after California state regulators gave the autonomous vehicles the green light. According to Quartz,  the decision “will be Waymo’s biggest test since it first…

Do Passengers Want Self-driving Cars to Behave More or Less Like Them?

Researchers asked participants about their personal driving behaviors such as speed, changing lanes, accelerating and decelerating and passing other vehicles. They also asked them the same questions about their expectations of a self-driving car performing these very same tasks. The objective of the study was to examine trust and distrust to see if there is a relationship between an individual’s driving behaviors and how they expect a self-driving car to behave.

Computer Vision Technology Helps Analyze Michigan Dam Collapse

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 26, 2020) – Rutgers engineers have created a 3D model of last month’s devastating break in the Edenville Dam in Michigan, using the emerging technology of computer vision to analyze a smartphone video posted on social…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Autism and Transportation Issues

New Brunswick, N.J. (Jan. 22, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick expert Cecilia Feeley is available for interviews on transportation and mobility issues for people on the autism spectrum. Feeley, transportation autism project manager at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and…

UIC Urban Forum to explore the growth, potential impact and future of autonomous vehicles

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s 2019 Urban Forum, titled “Are we there yet? The myths and realities of autonomous vehicles,” will examine the questions and uncertainties surrounding not only the societal and legislative impact of autonomous vehicles, but also the technological advances needed for these vehicles to proliferate.

GIVING SMART VEHICLES THEIR SENSE OF DIRECTION

Before self-driving vehicles become a permanent fixture on our roads they need to overcome two challenges—figuring out where they are and their range of motion (localization) and modeling their surroundings to avoid running into stuff (mapping).
In the world of robotics, it’s called SLAM—simultaneous localization and mapping. Researchers at the University of Delaware have developed novel SLAM algorithms that offer the best solution to date for giving these vehicles a sense of direction.