Transportation Science News

June 15, 2024

Top Headlines

AI-Controlled Stations Can Charge Electric Cars at a Personal Price

May 31, 2024 — As more and more people drive electric cars, congestion and queues can occur when many people need to charge at the same time. A new study shows how AI-controlled charging stations, through smart algorithms, can offer electric vehicle users ...

Bio-Inspired Cameras and AI Help Drivers Detect Pedestrians and Obstacles Faster

May 29, 2024 — Artificial intelligence (AI) combined with a novel bio-inspired camera achieves 100 times faster detection of pedestrians and obstacles than current automotive cameras. This important step for ...

One-Third of Ride-Share Drivers Have Had a Crash on the Job, Survey Finds

Apr. 4, 2024 — Using a cell phone, driving while tired and driving on unfamiliar roads increased the likelihood of a ...

New Traffic Signal Would Improve Travel Time for Both Pedestrians and Vehicles

Mar. 12, 2024 — Adding a fourth light to traffic signals -- in addition to red, green and yellow -- would shorten wait times at street corners for pedestrians, as well as improve traffic flow for both autonomous ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:58pm EDT

What Are the Risks of Hydrogen Vehicles in Tunnels?

May 28, 2024 — A team has analyzed the risk and damage potential of hydrogen vehicles in tunnels and derived recommendations. Their conclusion? Any damage would be extensive, but its occurrence is ...

How Electric Vehicle Drivers Can Escape Range Anxiety

Apr. 25, 2024 — Two of the biggest challenges faced by new and potential electric vehicle (EV) drivers are range anxiety and speed of charging, but these shouldn't have to be challenges at all. Researchers ...

GeoAI Technologies for Sustainable Urban Development

Apr. 15, 2024 — From heatwaves to pandemic diseases, the urban environments of the world face numerous challenges. Researchers are harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and informatics to address emerging concerns ...

Improving Traffic Signal Timing With a Handful of Connected Vehicles

Feb. 20, 2024 — With GPS data from as little as 6% of vehicles on the road, researchers can recalibrate traffic signals to significantly reduce congestion and delays at ...

Determining Who Gets Blamed When Cars Hit Pedestrians

Feb. 13, 2024 — A new study examines the circumstances behind who is found at fault when cars hit pedestrians in an urban area. Results showed that the environment where the crash took place -- especially the types ...

Road Features That Predict Crash Sites Identified in New Machine-Learning Model

Feb. 13, 2024 — Issues such as abrupt changes in speed limits and incomplete lane markings are among the most influential factors that can predict road crashes, ...

Engineers Develop Hack to Make Automotive Radar 'Hallucinate'

Jan. 31, 2024 — Engineers have demonstrated a system they've dubbed 'MadRadar' for fooling automotive radar sensors into believing almost anything is possible. The technology can hide the approach of an existing ...

Using Idle Trucks to Power the Grid With Clean Energy

Jan. 13, 2024 — Researchers are tapping into idled electric vehicles to act as mobile generators and help power overworked and aging electricity grids. After analyzing energy demand on Alberta's power grid during ...

360-Degree Head-Up Display View Could Warn Drivers of Road Obstacles in Real Time

Dec. 21, 2023 — Researchers have developed an augmented reality head-up display that could improve road safety by displaying potential hazards as high-resolution ...

Using Machine Learning to Monitor Driver 'Workload' Could Help Improve Road Safety

Dec. 7, 2023 — Researchers have developed an adaptable algorithm that could improve road safety by predicting when drivers are able to safely interact with ...

Traffic Speeds Decrease When Bike Lane Is Present

June 3, 2024 — Researchers conducting a study at a high-traffic intersection in a Jersey Shore town have found that the installation of a bike lane along the road approaching the convergence reduced driving ...

In the Driver's Seat: Study Explores How We Interact With Remote Drivers

Jan. 13, 2024 — Research is helping shed light on the important interaction between users and remote drivers that oversee the operation of automated ...

How Big Events Can Disrupt Public Transit Over an Entire City

Dec. 19, 2023 — New technology has allowed scientists to see how a major sporting event can disrupt public transportation in an entire city for hours before and after the ...

To Help Autonomous Vehicles Make Moral Decisions, Researchers Ditch the 'Trolley Problem'

Dec. 1, 2023 — Researchers have developed a new experiment to better understand what people view as moral and immoral decisions related to driving vehicles, with the goal of collecting data to train autonomous ...

Researchers Develop Novel Deep Learning-Based Detection System for Autonomous Vehicles

Nov. 30, 2023 — Autonomous vehicles require object detection systems to navigate traffic and avoid obstacles on the road. However, current detection methods often suffer from diminished detection capabilities due to ...

E-Scooter Accidents: More Helmets and Less Speed Reduce the Injury Risk

Oct. 18, 2023 — A team has used Human Body Models to investigate accidents involving electric scooters and identified the most important factors for preventing serious ...

Tracking Drivers' Eyes Can Determine Ability to Take Back Control from 'Auto-Pilot' Mode

Aug. 31, 2023 — A team of researchers has developed a new method to determine the attention levels of drivers and their readiness to respond to warning signals when using auto-pilot ...

People Hold Smart AI Assistants Responsible for Outcomes

Aug. 30, 2023 — Even when humans see AI-based assistants purely as tools, they ascribe partial responsibility for decisions to them, as a new study ...

Self-Driving Cars Can Make Traffic Slower

Aug. 14, 2023 — A new study finds that 'connected' vehicles, which share data with each other wirelessly, significantly improve travel time through intersections -- but automated vehicles can actually slow ...

Using Cameras on Transit Buses to Monitor Traffic Conditions

July 26, 2023 — Researchers have proposed a novel method for counting and tracking vehicles on public roads, a development that could enhance current traffic systems and help travelers get to their destinations ...

New Algorithm Maps Safest Routes for City Drivers

July 25, 2023 — Most navigation apps can show you the fastest possible route to your destination and some can even suggest an eco-friendly route calculated to produce the least amount of carbon emissions. But what ...

Groundbreaking E-Scooter Study Shows Surface Transitions as Most Common Hurdle

July 25, 2023 — Transitions from surfaces, such as moving from gravel or dirt to grass, proved to be the riskiest. Those riders were almost 60 times more likely to have a crash or near-crash experience. This was ...

Testing Real Driverless Cars in a Virtual Environment

July 6, 2023 — Researchers have developed new software to aid in the development, evaluation and demonstration of safer autonomous, or driverless, vehicles. Called the Vehicle-in-Virtual-Environment (VVE) method, ...

Tracking Ships' Icy Paths Amidst Climate Change

July 5, 2023 — Understanding when and where ships are entering areas of Arctic sea ice can help elucidate the potential impacts of vessel traffic in the ...

Wind Farm Noise Exposure Doesn't Wake People Up from Their Slumber More Than Road Traffic Noise

June 26, 2023 — Short exposure to wind farm and road traffic noise triggers a small increase in people waking from their slumber that can fragment their sleep patterns, according to new research. But importantly, ...

High-Tech Pavement Markers Support Autonomous Driving in Tough Conditions, Remote Areas

June 20, 2023 — Engineers are placing low-powered sensors in the reflective raised pavement markers that are already used to help drivers identify lanes. Microchips inside the markers transmit information to passing ...

All-Electric Rideshare Fleet Could Reduce Carbon Emissions, Increase Traffic Issues

June 12, 2023 — Two major ridesharing companies have promised all-electric fleets by 2030 in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. To understand additional impacts of this transition, researchers conducted ...

Preventing Truck Crashes Needs to Take 'Dashcam' Approach to Driver 'Microsleeps'

June 1, 2023 — Researchers using dashcam footage of real-world collisions involving large trucks to analyze driver and vehicle behavior has found that anti-drowsiness alarms or similar technologies to prevent ...

Self-Driving Cars Lack Social Intelligence in Traffic

May 30, 2023 — Self-driving cars fall short when it comes to understanding the social codes in traffic that let human drivers decide whether to give way or drive on, according to new ...

Hidden in Plain Sight: Windshield Washer Fluid Is an Unexpected Emission Source

May 30, 2023 — Exhaust fumes probably come to mind when considering vehicle emissions, but they aren't the only source of pollutants released by a daily commute. Researchers report that alcohols in windshield ...