5 New Things About Autonomous & Connected Vehicles

As we race towards the future, new advancements are made in autonomous and connected transportation every day. We pulled five stories from the headlines and included excerpts to keep you up to speed on how technology is moving forward.

1. As more data becomes available, many struggle with how to make the best use of it. A recent study, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, by Kuilin Zhang, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and affiliated assistant professor of computer science at Michigan Technological University, offers a way to do just that. He believes his data-driven optimization approach will provide a cost-effective method for transportation planners to do everything from make more effective traffic congestion mitigation strategies to know where to build wider or new roads. MORE
2. Ford Motor Co. and Amazon Web Services Inc. announced they are working on enabling a worldwide, cloud-based service for autonomous and connected vehicles. MORE
3. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) recently formed the Connected Vehicle Infrastructure Technical (CVIT) Committee. Their goal is to develop a “harmonized technical specification for roadside connected vehicle (CV) devices.” Slated for completion in 2019, the new standards would cover traffic signals, school zone beacons, pedestrian crossings, and other electronic devices that control the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on U.S. roadways. MORE 
4. Iowa passed legislation green-lighting the use of autonomous vehicles in the state. Find some of their stipulations in this story. MORE 
5. As their self-imposed deadline to launch an autonomous taxi service draws near, General Motors Company remains tight-lipped on progress. Company leaders are now saying the driverless taxi service would be “gated by safety.” MORE