CSAIL researchers have developed drones that can drive and fly through a city-like setting, reports Gareth Mitchell for BBC News. The goal for this research is to have the vehicles “coordinate with each other and make intelligent decisions when they fly and drive,” says graduate student Brandon Araki.
MIT researchers have designed a drone that can stay aloft for several days and could serve as an airborne telecommunications hub for disaster zones, reports Katherine Lin for NBC News. Prof. Warren Hoburg explains that the aircraft has a, “five-day endurance that is sized to carry a 10-pound payload at 15,000 feet.”
Wired reporter Aarian Marshall writes that researchers from the MIT AgeLab are examining driver behavior in an effort to reduce distracted driving fatalities. The researcher developed an algorithm that can help predict crashes based on driver behavior, which could eventually be used to “build and then test products that are safe to use in the car.”
Wired reporter Matt Simon writes that CSAIL researchers have developed a system of drones that can successfully fly and drive through a city-like setting. Simon explains that the framework is a good step, “toward imagining a transportation infrastructure that works in three dimensions, not just two.”
TechCrunch reporter Brian Heater writes that MIT researchers have developed a drone that can stay aloft for five days on a single tank of gas. “In addition to supporting areas in the wake of a disaster, the team believes the drone could go a ways toward helping tech companies…achieve their longstanding…dream of delivering internet access to rural areas.”
UPI reporter Brooks Hays writes about MIT spinout Open Water Power, which developed a battery that can be powered by seawater. Hays writes that the, “technology promises to extend the range and capabilities of unpiloted underwater vehicles, or UUVs.”
Wired reporter Tom Simonite highlights how Prof. Daniela Rus is developing technology that enables a car’s computer to take control from human drivers to help prevent accidents. “Eventually everyone will get to autonomy, but the technology’s not ready yet,” explains Rus. “This is an intermediate step we can take to make driving safer in the meantime.”
In an article for The New York Times about the growing number of autonomous public transportation programs in Europe, Mark Scott highlights Prof. Carlo Ratti’s work testing driverless boats in Amsterdam. In addition to ferrying people and goods, the driverless boats will also be able to “automatically dock with each other, creating on-demand bridges and walkways whenever necessary."
Research engineer Bryan Reimer speaks with Asma Khalid and Tanya Mosely of Radio Boston about a study showing that consumers are growing less comfortable with the prospect of autonomous vehicles.
A study from the AgeLab found that most people would not buy a completely driverless car. “Respondents said they're uncomfortable with the loss of control and don't trust the technology. They also don't feel self-driving cars are safe,” writes Zeninjor Enwemeka for WBUR.
Reuters reporter Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss writes that researchers from the MIT Media Lab will be collaborating with the Toyota Research Institute on exploring the use of blockchain technology to aid in the development of driverless cars. Chavez-Dreyfuss writes that the project is aimed at enabling “businesses and consumers to securely share data on testing and driving.”
CSAIL researchers have developed a new system that allows camera-equipped drones to maintain certain framing parameters of an aerial shot, Sean O’Kane for The Verge. O’Kane explains that the system allows directors to define basic parameters of a shot and to alter the “settings on the fly and the drone will adjust how it’s filming accordingly.”
NuTonomy, an MIT startup, will soon start testing self-driving cars in Boston’s Seaport District and Fort Point areas, writes Doug Newcomb for Forbes.
Prof. Daniela Rus speaks with Siti Rahil of Kyodo News about how researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) are working autonomous vehicles. Rus explains that a challenge facing the field is enabling driverless cars to operate in environments where "some of the cars are driven by people and some of the cars are driven automatically."
CSAIL researchers have developed software that allows users to design and virtually test drones, writes Alex Davies for Wired. Graduate student Tao Du explains that the software can help users “explore and try different shapes and different controllers.”