Transportation

Sample frames from MIT AgeLab's annotated video dataset

MIT and Toyota release innovative dataset to accelerate autonomous driving research

DriveSeg contains precise, pixel-level representations of many common road objects, but through the lens of a continuous video driving scene.

June 18, 2020

“If in the 1980s you asked people what would the [mobility] system look like 20 years in the future, they would say it would probably be the same,” Associate Professor Jinhua Zhao says. “Now, really nobody knows what it will it look like.”

What moves people?

Associate Professor Jinhua Zhao, who will direct the new MIT Mobility Initiative, brings behavioral science to urban transportation.

June 15, 2020

Map shows the potential reductions in overall greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, state by state, that could be achieved by policies emphasizing the use of stiffer road surfaces. The greatest potential gains are seen across the southern part of the country.

Stiffer roadways could improve truck fuel efficiency

Study finds simple changes in road resurfacing practices could improve gas mileage for heavy vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

June 11, 2020

An MIT study shows that electrical vehicle batteries could have a useful and profitable second life as backup storage for grid-scale solar photovoltaic installations, where they could perform for more than a decade in this less demanding role. This image shows a ‘cut-away’ view of a lithium-ion battery over a background of cars and solar panels.

Solar energy farms could offer second life for electric vehicle batteries

Modeling study shows battery reuse systems could be profitable for both electric vehicle companies and grid-scale solar operations.

May 22, 2020

Using a novel methodology, MITEI researcher Joanna Moody and Associate Professor Jinhua Zhao uncovered patterns in the development trends and transportation policies of China’s 287 cities — including Fengcheng, shown here — that may help decision-makers learn from one another.

Transportation policymaking in Chinese cities

A new framework for learning from each other.

May 21, 2020

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow)—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient, emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab.

Covid-19 diagnostic based on MIT technology might be tested on patient samples soon

A variety of MIT research projects could aid efforts to detect and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

March 12, 2020

MIT's new system allows a self-driving car to situate itself in snowy conditions.

To self-drive in the snow, look under the road

Weather’s a problem for autonomous cars. MIT’s new system shows promise by using “ground-penetrating radar” instead of cameras or lasers.

February 26, 2020

Most facilities for handwashing are located inside restrooms, which tend to be highly contaminated areas, the researchers say. Separate handwashing sinks outside of restrooms could help improve hand hygiene at airports, they suggest.

Study: To slow an epidemic, focus on handwashing

Improving the rate of handwashing at just 10 major airports could significantly slow the spread of a viral disease, researchers estimate.

February 6, 2020

CSHub researchers are modeling the future of pavements to help departments of transportation maintain their pavement networks while lowering costs.

Improving pavement networks by predicting the future

CSHub researchers have developed a pavement maintenance model that considers future uncertainties to improve performance and lower cost.

February 5, 2020

It has never been safer to fly on commercial airlines, according to a new study by Arnold Barnett, the George Eastman Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Shown are evening air traffic patterns in Europe.

Study: Commercial air travel is safer than ever

The rate of passenger fatalities has declined yet again in the last decade, accelerating a long-term trend.

January 23, 2020

An AI model developed at MIT and Qatar Computing Research Institute that uses only satellite imagery to automatically tag road features in digital maps could improve GPS navigation, especially in countries with limited map data.

Using artificial intelligence to enrich digital maps

Model tags road features based on satellite images, to improve GPS navigation in places with limited map data.

January 23, 2020

A new study co-authored by MIT researchers, looking at the spread of dengue fever in Singapore, shows how commuting affects the spread of illness in urban settings.

Tracking contagion in cities, using mobile phone data

Study shows how commuting and other forms of everyday travel help spread mosquito-borne disease in urban settings.

November 20, 2019

MIT and Lamborghini recently filed a joint patent for a material that will serve as the technological base for a new generation of supercapacitors. Here, Patricia Das ’17, who interned at Automobili Lamborghini through MIT-Italy, is seen at work at Lamborghini Santa Agata Bolognese Labs.

Lamborghini and MIT pave the way for the electric supercar of the future

MIT-Italy helps build supercharged partnerships on campus and across the globe.

November 19, 2019

In lane-merging scenarios, a system developed at MIT could distinguish between altruistic and egoistic driving behavior.

Predicting people's driving personalities

System from MIT CSAIL sizes up drivers as selfish or selfless. Could this help self-driving cars navigate in traffic?

November 18, 2019

Nigerian mobility startup Max NG is trying to formalize the delivery and transportation industries of West Africa. Each of the company's mototaxi drivers go through extensive training on basic traffic rules, strategies for driving in inclement weather, and defensive driving tactics. They also must pass a background check, and every bike is tracked to deter crime and poor driving.

Creating a network of drivers to lift a community

With a focus on driver and passenger safety, startup Max NG provides delivery and transportation services in West Africa.

November 14, 2019

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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