Technology

Using Satellite Imagery, This AI Traces Urban Wealth
Penny is an artificial intelligence program that detects affluence from space. It also lets users experiment with how different visual forms affect its perception of an area's wealth.

Next From China: Bikeshare Without the Station
Led by the companies Mobike and Ofo, so-called "dockless" bike sharing is all the rage in Chinese cities. Unlocked by app, the bikes can be left anywhere for the next user to pick up. There have been some hiccups.

Pittsburgh Takes Property Data Visualization to the Next Level
Not all property data maps are created equal.

Bikes That Talk in a World of Self-Driving Cars
The question of whether self-driving cars will make streets and roads a safer place for humans depends on whether technology can protect the most vulnerable users.

First Mile-Last Mile, Intermodalism, and Making Public Transit More Attractive
As planners seek to leverage public transit investments with enhanced first mile-last mile connections, it is critical that market analysis guide those initiatives and that impacts and cost effectiveness are part of the performance assessment.

A National Day of Telecommuting
Companies and workers in the country of Japan are less likely to work from home than in the United States. The government hopes to increase the number of telecommuters during the 2020 Olympics, however.

Reality Checking Elon Musk's Hyperloop Nothing Burger—Again
Elon Musk's desire to tunnel a path to freedom from congestion refuses to die.
An App Launches 'Smart Bus' Service in London
The Citymapper "smart bus" system will rely on the power of data to meet transit service demand in London.
No Self-Driving Cars Without Hyper-Local Maps
While the fame and the glory might go to the first companies that bring self-driving cars to the market, the companies that provide the detailed, constantly changing maps will make a lot of money.

The Era of the Electric Vehicle is Approaching
A new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that due to a plunge in battery prices and improvement in battery technology, electric vehicles will be cost-competitive with gasoline vehicles in eight years. By 2040, they will outsell them.
Report Predicts the End of Individual Car Ownership
The first report from independent think tank RethinkXL predicts that by 2031, 95 percent of U.S. passenger miles traveled will be served by on-demand, autonomous electric vehicles owned by companies providing transport as a service.

Take a LiDAR Tour of Dublin
The potential of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to redefine mapping and modeling will be on display in the city of Dublin, Ireland, after NYU researchers released the largest ever LiDAR data set.
Artificial Intelligence Unlocks the Secrets of Neighborhood Change
Researchers at MIT and Harvard believe that their computer vision system (i.e., artificial intelligence) helps reveal fundamental characteristics of neighborhood change.
A New Tool to Amplify the Power of Open Data
Open data that no one knows how to use is hardly open at all. A new platform from Esri aims to improve the situation.

Telecommuting Skews Affluent
Here's a reason to doubt telecommuting as a silver bullet for congestion in growing regions: most people don't have the option.

The High-Stakes Race to Deliver the First Car that Drives Itself
A new report provides a stark reminder of the stakes for businesses (setting aside the public right of way of other public interests) in the race to be the first to go self-driving.

Engineers Are Testing an Intelligent Pipeline Infrastructure
Sensing capabilities and advanced building materials are redefining the resilience of infrastructure systems of all kinds.

Fuel Cell Vehicles Get Surprising Boost from Uncle Sam
The petroleum industry-friendly Trump Administration has awarded $15.8 million to 30 projects that are intended to substantially reduce oil consumption from passenger vehicles.
A Next Generation Kerfuffle for Telecommunications Infrastructure
The rollout of "5G" wireless Internet technology was already creating political controversy in local cities and communities. Then the California State Legislature proposed a bill that would streamline the approval process for 5G installations.
Volvo Makes History in Embrace of Electric Vehicle Technology
In a major announcement that could shake-up the auto industry, Volvo Cars declared it will initiate a gradual divorce from autos solely powered by internal combustion in two years. The Chinese-owned company wants to reduce its environmental impact.
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