AI at the Wheel, for the Masses

How much automation is too much for a public bus? (Art via Getty Images)

To date, autonomous vehicles have been almost exclusively associated with ride-hailing. Waymos seem to be everywhere in Austin these days, and riders can opt in to getting an autonomous ride via Uber. That’s not to mention the companies testing (Volkswagen and Zoox) or that have tested (R.I.P. Cruise and Argo AI) vehicles in the city. Plus, Tesla plans to roll out its robotaxi service in June.

But the role autonomous travel could play in public transit has received less of the spotlight. That is part of what Sarah Fox will discuss as a part of the Creating Safer, More Equitable Public Transit Systems panel at this year’s South by Southwest.

Fox is an assistant professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and has researched the role of automation in public bus transportation. Automating bus travel is particularly difficult because, unlike a train or light rail, there is no track, meaning the bus “would be traveling alongside vulnerable road users” like pedestrians and cyclists, Fox said. Buses are also of course much larger, and thus more difficult to maneuver than, say, a Waymo-sized SUV.

Another challenge is that bus drivers provide a public service. “They answer questions to folks who are boarding the bus en route, directions, the proper line to take,” she said. “They also help people with disabilities board. ... They also respond in the case of emergencies, so whether it’s on the bus or outside of the bus, they frequently see accidents and health emergencies that they call in emergency services to respond to. So, in many ways, they’re kind of a first responder.”

With this in mind, Fox would like to see a partnership between humans and machines. Aviation offers a good example. While there are aspects of flying that are automated, the pilot oversees the operation and ensures passengers arrive safely.

Fox has worked with the unions that represent bus drivers to develop her research. There are ways that the technology could improve the driver and rider experience. For example, people with disabilities are often passed by buses and don’t get picked up. Drivers could receive advance notice of “any accessibility needs that that passenger might have, so that they can prepare and ensure that they have adequate time at a stop to help them,” she said.

The role that public transit plays in providing accessible transportation is critical in Fox’s view. The mode of transport is also key to reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. Yet public transit is underfunded across the country. “That really impacts the ways that they are able to serve their communities and the ways that they are able to support their workers,” Fox said.

SXSW Panels on the Future of Transportation

Making Autonomous Ride-Hailing a Reality in Your City

Tuesday 11, 4pm, Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon G

Making Autonomous Transportation Accessible

Wednesday 12, 2:30pm, Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon G

America, Make This Your Train Era

Wednesday 12, 10am, Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon F

Creating Safer, More Equitable Public Transit Systems

Thursday 13, 1pm, Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon F