As self-driving cars increase in popularity, the question of legal liability remains. The driver, automobile manufacturer and software designers all have a role to play.
Despite what Elon Musk says, there are numerous challenges to overcome in creating completely self-driving cars that work in the real world.
Wheelchair advocates and taxi drivers protest lack of accessibility and surge pricing in New York City on Tuesday, January 19, 2016.
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Pedestrians are wary of autonomous cars, but they trust traffic lights. Researchers suggest driverless cars could communicate directly with the signals to make their own actions more predictable.
LiDAR helps an autonomous vehicle ‘visualize’ what’s around it.
Yulong Can with data from Baidu Apollo
Driverless vehicles rely heavily on sensors to navigate the world. They’re vulnerable to attack if bad actors trick them into ‘seeing’ things that aren’t there, potentially leading to deadly crashes.
Over US$33 billion was invested in mobility tech last year in response to claims it will transform our lives. Based on what we have seen so far, which of these promised solutions will be delivered?
Shops checkouts are predicted to disappear this decade. Customers will be able to take what they want and walk out, with payment done automatically.
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The sweeping introduction of driverless cars could see more vehicles on the road, driving longer distances. But smart planning could solve some of transit-associated environmental and social problems.
If a vehicle was coming through this intersection would this pedestrian have right of way?
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Most people do not know the right-of-way rules, but a starting point should be that pedestrian needs and safety take priority. Current road rules are biased towards driver convenience
Autonomous vehicles can only travel at speed at close quarters in the absence of human drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
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Self-driving vehicles that constantly roam the streets looking for passengers could overwhelm cities. But, if kept in check, these vehicles could be useful for improving urban transport.
Car owners’ attachment to driving and the willingness of others to switch from public transport could confound rosy predictions for autonomous vehicles.
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Scenarios based on a survey of Adelaide commuters and analyses of traffic flows show it’s possible the congestion could get worse in the transition to driverless vehicles.
As our worlds are become increasingly digitised, we’re starting to rely more on machines and devices for everyday tasks. But in an age when even pacemakers can be hacked, how do we know when and who to trust?
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Research shows we’re pretty gullible as it is. And our increasing reliance on machines for completing everyday tasks makes us all-the-more vulnerable to being exploited.
Would that it were so simple.
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Planes, trains and automobiles produced a step-change in the speed of travel – driverless and electric cars simply cannot deliver such radical improvements.
What does a future full of AVs mean for all the spaces reserved for downtown parking?
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Jennifer Walsh, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sending autonomous vehicles to the Southern Ocean can be fraught with anxiety, especially if one of them doesn’t make radio contact when it’s supposed to.
Academic experts on how the humble car could evolve to become an unlikely hero in the global fight against climate change.
People expect drivers to stop for them at pedestrian crossings, but what if they know autonomous vehicles will stop any time someone chooses to step in front of them?
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How will people respond once they realise they can rely on autonomous vehicles to stop whenever someone steps out in front of them? Human behaviour might stand in the way of the promised ‘autopia’.