Seth Lazar, Australian National University and Colin Klein, Australian National University
A new study provides fascinating data on how people prioritise who to save in hypothetical driverless car crashes. But it takes more than just numbers to really create ethical machines.
When cyclists take over road lanes, self-driving cars will operate less efficiently.
Can Balcioglu/Shutterstock.com
Autonomous cars and people-centered communities are mutually exclusive, writes a cyclist and transportation scholar.
Driving conditions that don’t require frequent use of vehicle controls, but do require constant vigilance for hazards, can reduce driver alertness.
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Humans are poor at remaining vigilant over time. That’s bad news for the safety of partially automated cars, which sometimes need the person behind the wheel to quickly take over control.
Autonomous vehicles are coming to our cities – in fact, driverless buses are already on the road in Adelaide.
David Mariuz/AAP
The UK pioneered smart cards such as Oyster. But now, experimentation is being stifled as cash-strapped councils struggle to deliver basic services.
Technology and artificial intelligence are already profoundly changing how we live, work and travel. Are we ready for more profound changes?
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Technology is already changing how we live our lives and go about our days. Are we ready with collaborative planning processes so we are not taken by surprise by more profound change?
Howard Yu, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
Silicon Valley’s chip supplier de choix scored a massive own goal with smartphones. If it has got driverless cars wrong too, it could be goodnight Santa Clara.
Just like teenagers, robot drivers need lots of practice.
iurii/Shutterstock.com
Autonomous cars need to learn how to drive just like people do: with real-world practice on public roads. It’s key to safety, and to public confidence in the new technologies.
Driverless cars promise many benefits for the future of driving, but who really understands?
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A survey found very few people are aware of the social and health benefits from the wide scale use of autonomous vehicles. But their attitudes change with a little extra information.
Do people really trust driverless cars to carry them safely to their destinations? New research shows that we are ready to use driverless cars in certain situations but not others, yet.
Driverless cars will transform the transportation industry.
daxis/flickr
Companies developing autonomous vehicles are missing out on the local knowledge and values of the people who live where these cars are tested. And that lack of engagement sets up bigger problems.
Traditional car manufacturing may have gone from Australia with a loss of jobs, but one senior figure in the motor industry sees a potential for new jobs thanks to driverless cars.
In cities and countries around the world, drivers use a range of hand signals to communicate with other drivers.
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If autonomous vehicles are going to be safer than human drivers, they’ll need to improve their ability to perceive and understand their surroundings – and become the ultimate defensive drivers.