Transportation

New hybrid gas-to-electric drones from MIT spinout Top Flight Technologies offer an order-of-magnitude increase in range, payload size, and power over battery-powered counterparts. The drones may pave the way for package delivery and human flight.

Hybrid drones carry heavier payloads for greater distances

Startup’s gas-electric engines may pave way for package delivery and human flight.

August 4, 2017

"Something I’ve recommended is for the Tour de France to have [recumbent bicycles] start prior to the regular upright bicycles," says Professor Emeritus David Gordon Wilson. "It would be very exciting to add this element, since recumbents are not only faster, but safer, so you wouldn’t see the domino-style pile-ups that often occur."

David Gordon Wilson's lifelong love of the bicycle

MIT emeritus professor, designer, and inventor, is set to release the fourth edition of his popular book, "Bicycling Science," known as the "bike bible."

July 25, 2017

Localizing ground-penetrating radar (LGPR) developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory uses inherently stable subsurface features and their geolocation to locate a vehicle, even in adverse weather conditions. Below the surface, an earlier map can be seen in gray on the left, while a current scan is shown in light blue under the vehicle, and the registered data is shown in blue and green behind the vehicle...

Lincoln Laboratory enters licensing agreement to produce its localizing ground-penetrating radar

Commercial prototypes of the system will be available to the self-driving vehicle industry.

July 18, 2017

"Eliminating high-occupancy vehicle restrictions led to substantially worse traffic," says economics professor Ben Olken. "That’s not shocking, but the magnitudes are just enormous."

A simple solution for terrible traffic

Study: Without HOV policies, urban traffic gets much, much worse.

July 6, 2017

The MIT Motorsports team is all smiles with their Second Place Overall Spirit of Excellence Award silver trophy at the Formula SAE Electric competition in Lincoln, Nebraska.

MIT team races to second in electric car competition

Strong performances across multiple categories boost MIT Motorsports electric vehicle team at SAE Collegiate Design Series event in Lincoln, Nebraska.

June 30, 2017

The West Garage, located on Vassar Street across from the Steinbrenner Stadium, will close this fall and is scheduled for demolition to make way for a new undergraduate residence.

West Garage scheduled to close September 2017

Closing will make way for undergraduate residence; permit holders are being assigned to new parking areas on campus.

June 29, 2017

The MIT AgeLab and Toyota CSRC set up a camera system at a busy Cambridge intersection to study minute details of pedestrian movements.

AgeLab researching autonomous vehicle systems in ongoing collaboration with Toyota

Innovative MIT research focuses on developing systems to perceive and identify objects in their environment and understand social interactions in traffic.

June 8, 2017

Years of rapid urbanization, rising incomes, and transport investment focused on automobiles has led to a significant rise in traffic congestion in Beijing and other Chinese cities. An MIT study considers how effective new measures will be in reducing China’s air pollution.

Tackling air pollution in China

Combining climate policy and vehicle emissions standards could pack a one-two punch.

May 17, 2017

Left to right: Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, MIT AgeLab Director Joe Coughlin, MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics Director Yossi Sheffi, and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker

Governor Charlie Baker visits AgeLab at MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics

Baker-Polito administration establishes council to address aging in Massachusetts.

April 19, 2017

A major study — “Mobility of the Future” — will explore how consumers and markets will respond to potentially disruptive technologies, business models, and government policies. The scope of the study is ground transportation, with an emphasis on the movement of people.

Study from MIT Energy Initiative will explore the future of transportation

“Mobility of the Future” study examines how developments in technology, fuel, infrastructure, policy, and consumer preference will drive transportation changes.

April 11, 2017