UK sets the rules of the road for driverless car tests

A bunch of driverless cars are now being trialled in the UK, so it makes sense to give researchers a special kind of road-testing rulebook. After all, Britain’s existing laws were never written with autonomous vehicles in mind. To support the new wave of research, the Department for Transport (DfT) has published a Code of Practice which sets out some basic ground rules for testing driverless cars on public roads. These include having a backup driver that can retake control at any moment — similar to how Google’s driverless cars operate in the US. Supervisors should also hold an appropriate UK driving licence and be familiar with the technology inside the vehicle.

Most of the rules should be obvious — for instance, the vehicles must be insured and always obey the UK’s road laws. Even in an automated mode, however, the supervisor should adhere to the same rules as an active driver — that means they can’t use their phone or anything else that might distract them. The Code of Practice also suggests alerting the highway authorities to testing zones and setting up a specialised contact with the local police and fire services. Finally, driverless cars should capture and store data while they’re out on the road. Similar to a plane’s flight recorder, this will give researchers and investigators a way to determine what went wrong after an accident or mechanical failure.

The Code of Practice shouldn’t trouble the trials already underway in the UK. Most of the prototype vehicles haven’t been designed for public roads anyway — the Lutz pod and Meridian shuttle are gliding around parks and other pedestrian spaces, for instance — but it lays the groundwork for when researchers are ready to tackle the open road.

Filed under: Transportation

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Source: Department for Transport

Drones are pestering Spain’s royal family

France isn’t the only European country grappling with suspicious drone flights, it seems. Reportedly, guards at the Spanish royal family’s La Zarzuela palace have spotted numerous robotic aircraft flying through its airspace at night, including the residences. That’s bad enough by itself, but the kicker is that radio jamming isn’t working — short of breaking out guns, the guards can’t just bring these machines down.

There aren’t any telltale clues as to who’s responsibility, and the palace isn’t commenting. While paparazzi seem like an obvious answer, nighttime doesn’t really provide the best conditions for taking photos of the King and Queen. There’s also a concern that terrorism might be afoot, but the pilots could just as easily be activists, pranksters or even curious locals. Either way, it looks like Spain will have to follow the lead of other countries and tighten its anti-drone measures around high-security areas.

[Image credit: AP Photo/Abraham Caro Marin]

Filed under: Robots

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Via: The Local, Slashdot

Source: Monarquia Confidencial (translated)

Massachusetts grills Uber and Lyft over disability access

Ridesharing outfits make some effort to accommodate disabled passengers, but Massachusetts isn’t sure that they go far enough. Reuters has learned that the state’s Attorney General is grilling Uber and Lyft over the levels of disability access they provide. There aren’t any official actions under way, but this is the first time that any US attorney general’s office has given accessibility a look. That’s bound to make the two companies nervous when both of them are facing lawsuits over their support for guide dogs and wheelchairs.

For its part, Uber says it both talks to lawmakers about accessibility and has a team “dedicated” to improving access. If Massachusetts presses for changes, there’s a real chance that it’ll get at least some concessions rather than face a legal battle. With that said, ridesharing companies have historically resisted measures that potentially hike their costs — we wouldn’t rule out some pushback if they believe the state is taking things too far.

[Image credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu]

Filed under: Transportation, Internet

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Source: Reuters

Plastic roads may put asphalt to shame

The days of putting up with crumbling asphalt streets might just come to an end. Construction company VolkerWessels has revealed plans for recycled plastic roads that are both more sustainable and more practical than old-fashioned blacktop. Besides reusing material, they’d last about three times longer and survive greater temperature ranges (between -40F and 176F) — despite their fragile look, they’re less likely to crack under the strain of vehicles or the weather. You can pre-assemble them to lay them down faster, too, and their hollow structure is handy for cabling and pipes.

This is just a concept at the moment, but VolkerWessels fully intends to test it and make sure that it holds up in the real world. That’s not idle talk, either. The Dutch city of Rotterdam is interested in trying out these plastic surfaces in its “street lab,” and the company hopes to have an honest-to-goodness route in operation within three years. If the idea still sounds outlandish, look at it this way: it’s likely the closest you’ll ever get to driving a Hot Wheels track in real life.

Filed under: Transportation, Science

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Via: The Guardian, IEEE Spectrum, Slashdot

Source: VolkerWessels