A study by researchers from the MIT AgeLab examines “how to reduce collisions between vehicles and pedestrians,” reports Ed Garsten for Forbes. The research looked at how vehicles and pedestrians “interact and communicate with each other, along with how automated systems and technology affect driver behavior.”
Prof. Yet-Ming Chiang and his colleagues have developed a sodium-air fuel cell that “packs three to four times more energy per pound than common lithium-ion batteries,” reports Aaron Pressman for The Boston Globe, which could serve as “a potentially groundbreaking clean power source for airplanes.” Pressman adds that: “Ultimately, a sodium-air fuel cell could power a regional jet carrying 50 to 100 passengers on flights as long as 300 miles.”
Prof. Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL, speaks with Financial Times reporter Michael Peel about ongoing efforts to balance autonomous vehicles’ “efficient operation with the need for them to minimize damage in collisions.” Rus notes that a new framework offers a “potential path towards AVs that can navigate complex, multi-agent scenarios with an awareness of differing levels of vulnerability among road users,” says Rus.
Prof. John Hansman speaks with NPR reporter Joe Hernandez about staffing shortages and recent air travel disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport. "We run the system very conservatively and very safely," says Hansman. "If you get to this very extreme case we appear to be in, then you have secondary concerns about fatigue and stress, et cetera, that may degrade performance, but I don't think we've necessarily seen that at this point.”
Prof. Arnold Barnett speaks with New York Times reporter Christine Chung about airplane safety and risks. “Twelve million people board planes every day, on average, each year,” says Barnett. “The overwhelming majority of days not a single passenger is injured let alone killed.”
David Zipper, a senior fellow at the Mobility Initiative, speaks with WBUR Here & Now co-host Scott Tong about “car bloat,” the trend of increasingly large SUVs and trucks on the road. “I personally believe that car bloat is a major public health issue, it's a major policy issue, but I'll be candid, I don't think the average American does right now,” explains Zipper. “We need people to understand it and appreciate it. And in my view, that's going to need to happen at the grassroots level before we can expect really anybody in Washington to address this problem in the way that it deserves to be addressed.”
Prof. John Hansman speaks with Boston Herald reporter Rock Sobey about airline safety after the recent plane and helicopter collision in Washington D.C. “We have an incredibly safe system with very good procedures and good training, but there’s always the small chance that something happens — that someone gets distracted,” says Hansman. “When we have an incident like this, it can be stunning, but I wouldn’t overreact to it. I don’t think it’s an indication of a major problem with the system and air traffic control.”
In an interview with NPR’s “Short Wave” host Emily Kwong, Prof. Mark Drela attempts to ease flight anxiety by explaining the science behind flying. “Airplanes are designed to withstand very, very extreme turbulence,” says Drela. “Even the most violent imaginable turbulence that you’ve ever felt, the airplane can withstand loads maybe three times bigger…There is a very big safety margin on how aircrafts are built.”
Prof. Arnold Barnett speaks with Bloomberg reporter Charley Locke about the increased safety of air travel. “These events we fear have become extraordinarily rare,” says Barnett. “Of course these events are unnerving, but generally, as soon as they happen, the pilots know what to do and bring the plane back safely.”
WCVB reporter Jessica Brown spotlights how researchers from the MIT AgeLab explored the most effective way to communicate with elderly individuals about driver retirement. The researchers found that “35% of older drivers are more likely to listen to a spouse who asks them to give up the keys,” explains Brown.
David Zipper, a senior fellow at the Mobility Initative, writes for Fast Company about the future of the electric vehicle market. “With EVs comprising less than one in ten new car purchases, most Americans are still forming their impressions and figuring out how to evaluate them,” writes Zipper. “It remains to be seen whether they’ll ultimately care most about range, engine power, or something else entirely.”
Writing for Bloomberg, David Zipper, senior fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative, highlights the impact of the robotaxi industry on public transportation. “Transit-robotaxi synergy is an enticing message at a time when public transportation agencies face a dire funding shortage, and it could especially resonate among left-leaning residents in places like the Bay Area who value buses and trains even if they seldom use them,” writes Zipper. “But caveat emptor: The robotaxi industry’s embrace of public transportation conceals a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Prof. Jessika Trancik speaks with BBC reporter Isabelle Gerretsen about the future of electric vehicles and how shifting to EVs can help reduce carbon emissions. Trancik and her research lab developed an online tool, dubbed Carboncounter, that can analyze the climate impact of different vehicles. “A shift to an electric vehicle is one of the single most impactful decisions that someone can make if they want to reduce their own emissions," explains Trancik.
Prof. Yossi Sheffi speaks with Boston Globe reporter Hiawatha Bray about the challenges and risks posed by implementing automation, amid the dockworkers strike. Sheffi emphasized the importance of gradually introducing new technologies and offering workers training to work with AI. “There will be new jobs,” says Sheffi. “And we want the current workers to be able to get these new jobs.”
Prof. Yossi Sheffi speaks with Associated Press reporter Cathy Bussewitz about how automation could impact the workforce, specifically dockworkers. “You cannot bet against the march of technology,” says Sheffi. “You cannot ban automation, because it will creep up in other places... The trick is to make it over time, not do it haphazardly.”