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Autonomous Vehicles

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Essay

Who's Responsible When Your Car Gets Hacked?

Oct 23, 2019

Cars are becoming "fast, heavy artificial intelligences on wheels," a RAND report cautions, and that means they're becoming vulnerable. Potentially billions of dollars ride on the question of who has the legal responsibility to keep hackers from grabbing the wheel or cutting the brakes.
Report

Autonomous Road Vehicles and Law Enforcement

Jul 16, 2020

Autonomous vehicles promise many benefits, but questions remain about how law enforcement officers will interact with them. What will be the biggest challenges—and how can law enforcement prepare to address them?

Explore Autonomous Vehicles

Commentary

How States and Localities Might Approach Operational Design Domains for AVs

An operational design domain (ODD) is a description of the conditions in which an autonomous vehicle is designed to operate safely. No nationwide ODD policy exists, but because ODD is partly about the characteristics of a specific location, state and local policies could be useful.

Aug 20, 2020
Commentary

The Risks of Autonomous Weapons Systems for Crisis Stability and Conflict Escalation in Future U.S.-Russia Confrontations

While autonomous weapons systems are still in their early development stages, it is worth the time of policymakers to carefully consider whether their putative operational advantages are worth the potential risks of instability and escalation they may raise.

Jun 3, 2020
Report

Report

The Marine Transportation System, Autonomous Technology, and Implications for the U.S. Coast Guard

The authors briefly explore some emerging issues for the U.S. Coast Guard related to increasingly autonomous systems and the Marine Transportation System.

May 4, 2020
News Release

News Release

Autonomous Vehicle Technology May Improve Safety for U.S. Army Convoys

The technology to make a U.S. Army convoy fully autonomous doesn't exist yet. But Army convoys could be made safer for soldiers by implementing autonomous vehicle technology to reduce the number of service members needed to operate the vehicles.

Feb 12, 2020
Blog

Civic Engagement and Health, the State of the Union, Better Sleep: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the link between civic engagement and health, policy insights from the State of the Union address, what couples can do to improve their sleep, and more.

Feb 7, 2020
Report

How the Army Could Use Automated Driving Technology

Fully automated convoys are not yet feasible, but U.S. Army R&D communities have been testing automated truck concepts in which manned and unmanned vehicles perform cooperatively in convoy operations. What are the potential benefits and risks of deploying this technology over the next five years?

Feb 5, 2020
Blog

Veterans, Autonomous Vehicles, Digital Protests: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on preventing veteran suicide, who's responsible when a car is hacked, how digital protests can affect Fortune 500 companies, and more.

Nov 8, 2019
Blog

When Driverless Cars Were a Remote Idea

Researchers at RAND have been working on the technology behind driverless vehicles for over 50 years. From 1968 to the present, studies have involved remote-controlled drones, military land vehicles, autonomous submarines, and the safety and liability issues of self-driving cars.

Nov 1, 2019
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: November-December 2019

This issue spotlights research on veteran suicide; liability implications of driverless cars; and new approaches to improving the post-incarceration experience. The Giving column highlights a million-dollar gift to fund research on homeless veterans.

Oct 28, 2019
Report

Could Autonomous Drones Make Blood Deliveries?

Blood must be transported and stored in a certain way, and it has a finite shelf life. Unmanned systems offer flexibility in chaotic or uncertain environments. Could autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles make the military's blood supply network more resilient?

Oct 18, 2019
Commentary

Bargain-Hunting Robocars Could Spell the End for Downtown Parking: Cities Need to Plan Ahead Now

Imagine a scene from the near-future: You get dropped off downtown by a driverless car. You slam the door and head into your office or appointment. But then where does the autonomous vehicle go? It's a question that cities would be wise to consider now. Self-driving cars may be on the roads within the next decade or two.

Aug 29, 2019
Blog

Youth Sports, Autonomous Vehicles, Mental Health: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on why low-income children aren't playing sports, who's liable when autonomous vehicles get hacked, supporting children with mental health issues, and more.

Jul 19, 2019
Research Brief

When an Autonomous Vehicle Is Hacked, Who Is Liable?

Hacks on autonomous vehicles could lead to deaths, property destruction, ransomware attacks, or data theft. Several scenarios illustrate the policy challenges facing the civil legal system, insurers, and others.

Jul 12, 2019
Report

Report

When Autonomous Vehicles Are Hacked, Who Is Liable?

The arrival of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the roads will require policymakers, industry, and the public to adapt to the risk of hackers attacking these vehicles. RAND researchers explored the civil liability issues related to hacked AVs.

Jul 12, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Autonomous Transport Devices: Implications of Game-Changing Technologies in the Services Sector in Europe

The potential socioeconomic implications and applicability of game-changing technologies to the European services sector, covering: advanced robotics; autonomous transport devices; blockchain; virtual and augmented reality; and wearable devices.

Jun 25, 2019
Essay

How to End U.S. Roadway Deaths by 2050

Tens of thousands of people die on American roads every year. Bringing that number down to zero by 2050 is possible. We would have to change how we think about road safety, stop accepting car crashes as accidents, and make smart investments in technology.

Jun 24, 2019
Blog

Hong Kong, Education Reform, Baghdad: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on lessons for state education reform, retaining women in the U.S. Coast Guard, recounting the Battle for Baghdad, and more.

Jun 14, 2019
Commentary

AVs Could Improve Transportation Access in 'Transit Deserts'

More large U.S. cities are seeing their outer reaches turn into transit deserts, where demand for transportation vastly exceeds supply. Connecting public transit systems with automated vehicles, whether in ride-sharing or shuttle services, could be a solution.

May 31, 2019

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RAND Topic:
Autonomous Vehicles