Media Lab researchers have developed an autonomous tricycle that could decrease commuting times by 10 percent, writes Meghan Ottolini for The Boston Herald. Principal research scientist Kent Larson explains that the tricycles could be used to “meet the demand at rush hour, and at off-peak, you have excess vehicles that can move packages autonomously.”
The Copenhagen Wheel, created by Senseable City Lab researchers, transforms a regular bicycle into a semi-autonomous mode of transport, writes Bob Woods for CNBC. “We realized that unless you somehow change the bike, it's hard to imagine it as a solution for transportation, and that means increasing its capacity to go farther,” explains Assaf Biderman, the lab’s associate director.
Adam Vaccaro of The Boston Globe reports that Prof. Christopher Knittel is working with Uber to identify and reduce racial bias observed in ride-sharing services. Knittel explains that he is working on designing “follow-up studies to minimize the amount of discrimination that’s occurring.”
BBC reporter Lorelei Mihala highlights DriveWell, an app developed by Profs. Hari Balakrishnan and Sam Madden, aimed at addressing the problem of distracted driving. “We wanted to show that smartphones could be used to make drivers better,” says Balakrishnan.
In this CNN video, Maya Dangerfield highlights the team of students from MIT participating in the SpaceX Hyperloop competition. The MIT team finished among the top three teams, and was honored with the Safety and Reliability Award.
Prof. Iyad Rahwan speaks with the AP about the moral dilemmas posed by driverless cars. "There is a real risk that if we don't understand those psychological barriers and address them through regulation and public outreach, we may undermine the entire enterprise," Rahwan explains. “It would stifle what I think will be a very good thing for humanity."
In an article for Salon, Prof. Christopher Knittel notes there is a long history of discrimination against African-Americans in the transportation industry. While Prof. Knittel’s research shows ride-sharing services have decreased wait times in lower income areas, it also found “more frequent cancellations when a passenger used stereotypically African-American-sounding names,” among other discriminatory practices.
CSAIL researchers have found that ride-sharing services could reduce the number of cars on the road by 75 percent, reports Marisa Kendall for The Mercury News. The researchers developed an algorithm that can increase service speeds by 20 percent by rerouting cars to “their most efficient routes, including automatically sending idle cars to areas of high demand.”
A new study conducted by MIT researchers shows that ride-sharing services could reduce the number of cars on the road in New York City by 75 percent, according to the BBC News. The researchers found that “a fleet of 3,000 four-passenger taxis could do the same job as the current fleet of 13,000 yellow cabs in New York City.”
A new study by MIT researchers provides evidence that if more people in New York City were willing to carpool, the city would only need 3,000 taxis, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. With carpooling, “we have fewer vehicles, we have less pollution and we have a better travel situation for everyone,” explains Prof. Daniela Rus.
CSAIL researchers have found that ride-sharing taxis controlled by a citywide computer system could decrease the number of cars on the road in New York City, reports Clive Cookson for the Financial Times. The researchers found that “3,000 four-passenger cars could satisfy 98 per cent of the city’s demand.”
Washington Post reporter Faiz Siddiqui writes that MIT researchers have found that 3,000 four-person cars could serve 98 percent of New York City’s taxi demand. “Fewer cars on roads means improved quality of life for everyone, it means better traffic, it means lower pollution, it’s a better transportation experience,” explains Prof. Daniela Rus.
CNN reporter Matt McFarland writes about a new MIT study that finds ridesharing would allow the number of taxi cabs in Manhattan to be reduced by 78 percent, cutting congestion and pollution in the city. The study showed that “only 3,000 four-person sedans are needed to serve 98% of ride demands in Manhattan.”
A study co-authored by Prof. Christopher Knittel that found discriminatory practices by Uber and Lyft drivers has prompted the latter company to begin monitoring for racist behaviors, reports WCVB’s Abigail Elise. Lyft will monitor “driver behavior, ratings and cancellation rates in low-income and minority areas” to track drivers.
Wall Street Journal reporter Tim Higgins writes that nuTonomy, an MIT startup, will begin testing driverless cars in Boston by the end of the year. The tests in Boston will help the company “sharpen its software’s ability to recognize signage and road markings and gain experience with the complexities of urban driving,” Higgins explains.