An Invitation to a New Transportation Mode

The trends of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) and Automated Highways are converging. The result may be a new transportation mode built around robotic vehicles. This paper outlines how technology can transform transportation, making it more convenient, safer, more sustainable and less subject to congestion. Such a system could utilize existing infrastructure, but split highway lanes in half with vehicles less than a meter wide. This paper presents lessons from several relevant vehicles that the author's research teams have worked on. It describes open source work in progress and invites participation from other researchers

The Road to Autonomy

[T]his Comment discusses the background of AI and robotics, the technology behind the autonomous vehicle, and the evolution of products liability laws. Part III examines current regulations, the benefits of autonomous technology, and the need for a definitive liability framework. Part IV discusses why current tort liability laws will be ineffective in governing autonomous vehicle liability by examining the shift in liability from the driver to the owner and manufacturer. Part V proposes a short-term solution by attributing liability to the programmer, while software is still hard-coded. Finally, Part VI explores legal personhood, and proposes that the autonomous vehicle be held liable through a similar legal structure to that of a corporation

The current stage in aerospace at the end of 2020

The paper briefly presents some models of aircraft considered avant-garde in 2020, and it is part of the reviews on news in aviation and aerospace. It briefly presents some basic features, news, and more important data for each new model on display, so that the reader can get an image of that model but also an overall one, to compare different models from a particular manufacturer with each other, as well as with those belonging to another manufacturer. Aircraft manufacturers are constantly concerned with modifying their aircraft and building other new models that meet customer requirements as much as possible, but at the same time lead to reductions in total fuel consumption used in flight, to reduce pollution due to flights and the negative effects on planetary ecosystems, as well as the increase in the quality and safety of air travel

All Roads Lead to the Fair: How a 2022 Los Angeles World\u27s Fair Would Accelerate the Implementation of Sustainable and Innovative Forms of Transportation

This thesis explores the potential impact of a World’s Fair on urban mobility in Los Angeles County by 2022. A brief historical account of World’s Fairs, and their impact on technological innovations in transportation will be given in conjunction with the development of transportation in Los Angeles. These accounts will help to contextualize an analysis of current plans to provide Los Angeles with transportation solutions, in light of the oversaturated automobile landscape in place today. Specifically, my research has revealed that the further development of light-speed rail systems paired alongside a mass adoption of autonomous vehicles would both alleviate contemporary transportation issues across Los Angeles County and accommodate the audience of international spectators that future mega-events may attract. Particular attention is paid to the Los Angeles World’s Fair for its ability to galvanize the resources and support that these transportation innovations require. I therefore conclude that the Los Angeles World Fair should direct its focus principally in support of these aforementioned technologies, as opposed to other less feasible transportations solutions such as the Hyperloop

Fear of Change: Autonomous Vehicle Technology and the Automobile as a Cultural Artifact

The automobile is a cultural artifact embedded in our lives and imbued with meaning. Autonomous vehicle technology stands to alter not just the way we drive or whether we drive, it also has the power to fundamentally change the way we live. The development of driverless cars enables the examination of the complex relationships that individuals have with the automobile and reveals the fears associated with this technological change

The Internet of Things Connectivity Binge: What are the Implications?

Despite wide concern about cyberattacks, outages and privacy violations, most experts believe the Internet of Things will continue to expand successfully the next few years, tying machines to machines and linking people to valuable resources, services and opportunities

Assuming the Risks of Artificial Intelligence

Tort law has long served as a remedy for those injured by products—and injuries from artificial intelligence (“AI”) are no exception. While many scholars have rightly contemplated the possible tort claims involving AI-driven technologies that cause injury, there has been little focus on the subsequent analysis of defenses. One of these defenses, assumption of risk, has been given particularly short shrift, with most scholars addressing it only in passing. This is intriguing, particularly because assumption of risk has the power to completely bar recovery for a plaintiff who knowingly and voluntarily engaged with a risk. In reality, such a defense may prove vital to shaping the likelihood of success for these prospective plaintiffs injured by AI, first-adopters who are often eager to “voluntarily” use the new technology but simultaneously often lacking in “knowledge” about AI’s risks.To remedy this oversight in the scholarship, this Article tackles assumption of risk head-on, demonstrating why this defense may have much greater influence on the course of the burgeoning new field of “AI torts” than originally believed. It analyzes the historic application of assumption of risk to emerging technologies, extrapolating its potential use in the context of damages caused by robotic, autonomous, and facial recognition technologies. This Article then analyzes assumption of risk’s relationship to informed consent, another key doctrine that revolves around appreciation of risks, demonstrating how an extension of informed consent principles to assumption of risk can establish a more nuanced approach for a future that is sure to involve an increasing number of AI-human interactions—and AI torts. In addition to these AI-human interactions, this Article’s reevaluation also can help in other assumption of risk analyses and tort law generally to better address the evolving innovation-risk- consent trilemma

Travel Mode Selection When Autonomous Transportation Attributes Are Included as Criteria

Technology is rapidly changing the options available for travelers and transportation provider's business models. Billions of dollars have been investing in autonomous automobiles, but deployment timelines vary widely. Simultaneously, airlines are facing a severe shortage of qualified pilots that is predicted to extend for 20 years. For shorter trips, travelers may opt for the autonomous vehicle which provides positive attributes commercial air travel does not; productivity, privacy and flexibility. This research is designed to determine if these attributes affect the traveler's mode choice, if one of them affects choice more than the others and how the attributes relate to price and total travel time. The survey was constructed using choice survey methods as described by the Transportation Research Board and the results collected from over 400 respondents. The analysis shows that when presented trip options, productivity influences the transportation mode selection, but flexibility and privacy did not. In the 500-mile driving range, over 40% of the trips selected used the Ground Based Autonomous Vehicle (GBAV) as the mode of choice. GBAV is used instead of autonomous automobile because future iterations will be free of current design constraints and may be considerably more appealing for travel