TRB Website Details “Transformational Technologies”

The Transportation Research Board has launched a special webpage devoted to what it calls "Transformational Technologies" that are affecting transportation.

The page presents in one place information on and access to the latest research results, ongoing research, publications, news and events on such technologies as connected and automated vehicles; shared use services; unmanned aerial systems (drones); NextGen, Internet-of-Things; Smart Cities; Big Data, and cybersecurity.

Among the items currently featured on the page is a TRB E-Circular that explores the status and applications of transportation goods, services, and systems that fall under the umbrella of Transformational Technologies.

Examined in this resource are the state of each technology development; the key players involved; methods used to demonstrate the technologies to a national audience; methods used to publicize the technologies and convene their proponents and stakeholders; the economic significance of technologies and associated business models; and the possibilities for wider impact through synergies with other key technologies or other adjacent matters.

Also promoted on the site is a recent report on the legal environment for driverless vehicles. It aims to provide policymakers with an introduction to how civil and criminal liability may adhere to driverless vehicles; the implications of these vehicles for privacy and security; how these vehicles are likely to become subject to and potentially alter prevailing insurance regimes, and other related topics.

Highlighted on the new page as well is a summary of the 9th University Transportation Centers Spotlight Conference on Automated and Connected Vehicles, held in Washington, D.C. last November.

The conference delved into connected and automated vehicle research, testing, and deployment activities under way at the national, state, and local levels. Presenters also provided perspectives from the insurance industry, self-driving technology and mapping companies, and car-sharing businesses.