news 2022

UCLA-led research on deer and elk could point the way toward crossing structures that are more effective for all species UCLA-led research on deer and elk could point the way toward crossing structures that are more effective for all species In recent years, humans have built wildlife crossings in high-traffic areas to prevent road accidents and give animals access to expanded habitats for mating and resources.

Researchers will work with Virgin Atlantic to launch the world's first transatlantic flight powered solely by sustainable aviation fuel. The passenger flight from London to New York will be fuelled by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), combined with carbon removal through biochar credits - a material that traps and stores carbon taken from the atmosphere - making the flight net zero.

Aircraft emit nitrogen oxides and other emissions during both the LTO-phase (taxiing, take-off and landing) and when flying at high altitudes. These emissions return to the ground, resulting in nitrogen deposited over land and water bodies. Using an atmospheric model, researchers at TU Delft have quantified - for the first time - that in 2019 aviation was responsible for just under 1.2% of total global nitrogen deposition from all sources (anthropogenic and natural).

The ALARM research team, a European scientific project coordinated by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), has developed a new prototype early warning system to monitor natural phenomena that threaten the safety and efficiency of aviation. This system, currently capable of predicting the dispersion of volcanic ash or the progress of certain thunderstorms, also identifies the areas where the passage of aircraft has the greatest impact on climate change.

In extreme cold, fuels can no longer be used - but how do you measure the possible minimum temperature? A test facility has now been developed for this purpose at the Vienna University of Technology . When it gets too cold, the car won't start. Certain components of fuels can precipitate at low temperatures, the fuel becomes cloudy and can no longer be used.

Over 10,000 people in both the French and Swiss parts of the Lake Geneva region have been surveyed on their transportation habits, as the first element of a broader EPFL study on consumer lifestyles and behavior. The study is being spearheaded by EPFL's School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), working in association with the Canton of Vaud, the Canton of Geneva and Greater Geneva.

Aircraft noise is an irritating source of ambient noise and a significant cause of stress for local residents and animals in the vicinity of airports. Reducing aircraft noise is a major social issue in the Netherlands, as evidenced by the discussions on the permitted number of flight movements at Schiphol.

Akin to when Model Ts traveled alongside horses and buggies, autonomous vehicles (AVs) and human-driven vehicles (HVs) will someday share the road. How to best manage the rise of AVs is the topic of a new Carnegie Mellon University policy brief, " Mixed-Autonomy Era of Transportation: Resilience & Autonomous Fleet Management." Debate continues as to when AVs will dominate the streets, but one of the brief's authors, Carlee Joe-Wong , said, "Once AVs begin to deploy, there's probably not going to be any going back.

Electrical engineers from The Australian National University (ANU) have demonstrated how to create exciton pairs in a new type of semiconductor structure, paving the way for next generation technologies required for high speed computing, information processing and data communication. The research could lay the foundations for a new generation of smartphones and computers that are blisteringly fast but also consume significantly less energy than current devices.

Swarms of advanced unmanned aircraft are set to carry out aerial surveys of Antarctica - gathering crucial data on changes to the region's environment and wildlife - as part of new research with engineers from the University of Sheffield.

The approach and landing of passenger jets is often a burden for people and the environment. The DYNCAT project, in which researchers are working with partners in Switzerland, Germany and France, is aiming at approaches that cause less noise and CO2 emissions - thanks to intelligent assistance systems for the pilots.

People seem to hold the human driver to be primarily responsible when their partially automated vehicle crashes.

TUM Science Magazine ,,Faszination Forschung" Mobility and goods transport have to become more climate-friendly, low-noise, low-emitting, intelligent and connected in the future. In addition, it is vital that we embed new forms of mobility into existing infrastructures and integrate them into highly livable urban design.

People seem to hold the human driver to be primarily responsible when their partially automated vehicle crashes. But is this reasonable? In a paper recently published in Nature Scientific Reports , researchers from the AiTech Institute investigated the mismatch between the public's attribution of blame and finding from the human factors literature regarding human's ability to remain vigilant in partially automated driving.

More than a quarter of adults age 25 and older in the United States experience transportation insecurity, meaning they are unable to move from place to place in a safe or timely manner. The Transportation Security Index , a novel measure of transportation insecurity recently developed by University of Michigan researchers, offers new insights into the experience of this form of material hardship.

A reassessment of Toronto's travel networks is needed to improve transit equity People who rely on public transit in Toronto will eventually have to choose different means of transportation if they can afford it or risk isolation unless the current system improves, a new study found. The research from the University of Waterloo indicates that a lack of attention to core riders- meaning those dependent on public transportation-further marginalizes and creates mobility barriers that impede participation in public life.

The expectations for autonomous driving are clear: "Cars have to travel safely not only at low speeds, but also in fast-moving traffic," says Jörg Schrepfer, the Head of Driving Advanced Research Germany at Valeo. For example, when objects fall off a truck, the "egocentric" perspective of a car will often be unable to detect the hazardous debris in time.

Researchers have developed a machine learning algorithm that could help reduce charging times and prolong battery life in electric vehicles by predicting how different driving patterns affect battery performance, improving safety and reliability.

Empa, together with EBP and Fussverkehr Schweiz, analyzed in spring 2022 in Thalwil (ZH) how pedestrians react to automated vehicles. The automated parking assistant that had been used is the first system approved in Switzerland that moves a vehicle without a person sitting in it. The findings of the research project, which was co-financed by AXA's Foundation for Prevention, create an important basis for prevention measures and design principles for sustainable road spaces.

Top marks: Quebec university students score high with COVID-19 compliance A new study led by McGill researchers found that compliance with public health measures was high among university level students in Quebec during a critical period of the pandemic in 2021. They found 78% per cent of students observed in the study followed the proper mask-wearing and two-metre physical distancing rules, close to the 80 per cent threshold suggested as necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19.