Mit: Daegu Gyeoungbuk Institute of Science & Technology (Korea)

Four year research partnership initially focused on the development of validated driving simulation protocols for the assessment of cultural differences in driving behavior. Currently the New England Center is in the process of developing a field and simulation experiment to be conducted in Korea to assess visual attention and driving performance measures as a components of a distraction assessment system.

Research is focusing on understanding the impact of cognitive distraction on lane change behavior. Using an established NE UTC field driving data set, recent efforts have quantified characteristics of lane changing behavior such as visual inspection of mirrors and blind spots and frequency of lane changes with different levels of cognitive distraction. Specific emphasis is being placed on characterizing the impact of age.

Senior UTC researchers are in constant communication with researchers at TUM on a broad range of topics including driver distraction, driver mental models and technology learn ability. Specifically, the New England Center recently hosted a TUM student working on the development of machine learning algorithms for the detection of cognitive distraction.  A joint publication titled “Interactive-Consumer Design & Evaluation (I-CODE): A method to investigate Cognitive Structures of User’s on Automotive Functionalities” was accepted to the applied Human Factors conference.

The New England Center is currently hosting a visiting Ph.D. student working on the development of algorithms for the detection of driver fatigue.

The New England Center has been working with the MIT Department of Industrial Engineering on the use of driving simulation as a training measure and on the validity of driving simulation for assessing differences in interface design. In addition, the New England Center recently hosted a visit from the department head on automotive engineering and has begun to establish a student exchange program. 

The program is an international collaboration and has targeted transportation systems as one of the key areas for economic development and societal impact. The research agenda has been explicitly designed to:

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  focus on research themes of high relevance in the contemporary transportation systems agenda worldwide;;
  
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  develop, refine and employ state-of-the-art analytical techniques and technologies; and,
  
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  engage existing national and international experts while simultaneously creating the next generation of experts in transportation systems.
  

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  Develops key management tools for assessing, controlling, and communicating your environmental impact.
  
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  Integrates the knowledge of many of the world’s top experts in supply chains, sustainability, and corporate strategy.
  
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  Prioritizes product and supply chain strategies in order of their effectiveness at reducing long-term environmental impact.
  
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  Explores tradeoffs between different measures of environmental performance.
  

This research institute, associated with the University of Zaragoza in Spain, partnered with the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics in 2003 to create the MIT Zaragoza International Logistics Program, a unique research and education alliance that brings together the supply chain interests of academia, industry and government. Research initiatives in the MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program leverage the combined resources of the MIT laboratories and the large-scale industrial laboratory of PLAZA to develop cutting-edge concepts and technologies. The ZLC also offers masters, doctoral, and executive education programs, taught in both English and Spanish, to students from around the world.

New England Center researchers partnered with Dr. Joachim Meyer of Ben-Gurion University on the topic of “Adaptive Devices and Self-Regulation.”

Building on MIT’s rich tradition of engineering research and interdisciplinary collaboration, this initiative knits together the wide-ranging, robust transportation research already underway at the Institute and creates new opportunities for education and innovation.

The initiative will start as a two-year pilot program with initial support from its three participating MIT schools. Plans are under way for the development of two labs, one in Cambridge and one in Singapore, where researchers can apply and test new processes, technologies and policies.

SMART Centre: Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre

SMART Centre announced the launch of “The Future of Urban Mobility,” a project to develop new models and tools for the planning, design, and operation of future urban transportation. Aimed at making urban transportation systems more environmentally sustainable—first in Singapore, and ultimately on a global scale—these new models will be developed and deployed by nearly 60 researchers from four academic institutions.