TRL joins MIT's artificial intelligence project

Involvement in CSAIL will improve understanding of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies

Dr Nick Reed

Dr Nick Reed

TRL, the UK’s surface transport research laboratory, has joined an international research partnership exploring connected and autonomous transport.

TRL has formed a strategic alliance with the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA.

TRL will join organisations such as Apple, Google, BP, Intel, BT and BAE Systems as a member of the CSAIL Alliance Program, who work with MIT to enhance knowledge in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and machine learning, as well as developing research initiatives for future transport needs.

Through the membership, TRL will have access to the CSAIL as well as research groups spanning robotics, natural language processing, networks, databases, cryptography, web science and more. The TRL team will also be able to engage with leading researchers in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics technologies, identifying opportunities to collaborate to improve knowledge and accelerate development in this area.

TRL Academy director Professor Nick Reed said: “Technology is advancing rapidly and is already driving dramatic changes within the transport industry. TRL’s role has always been to predict, understand and evaluate how such developments can deliver improvements in the safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of our transport systems.

“MIT’s CSAIL facility is world-renowned for its research in the development and application of new technologies. Joining the Alliance Programme will help to ensure that TRL remains at the forefront of innovation in transport. We are looking forward to collaborating with CSAIL and partners in our ongoing programme of research surrounding automated transport systems and self-driving cars.

“Whether it is the integration of software and sensors that is bringing us automated road vehicles, or the processing and analysis of amalgamated datasets to deliver new insights into travel behaviours, the importance of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics in the transport sector cannot be underestimated.”

TRL already has a portfolio of research projects in the field of connected and automated transport. Notable current TRL projects include GATEway, MOVE_UK and Atlas.

TRL is also active in the development of V2X (vehicle-to-X) cooperative systems, which may be crucial in realising the potential of automated vehicles. It’s also an active member in iMobility Automotion in Road Transport Working Group and the VRA Project - a support action funded by the European Union.

CSAIL is the largest research laboratory facility at MIT. It has over 1,000 members, over 600 students and more than 50 research groups working on hundreds of projects. CSAIL researchers focus on discovering novel ways to make systems and machines smarter, easier to use, more secure and efficient.

The laboratory seeks to invent the future of computing and explore novel applications, enabling solutions to important national and global challenges. CSAIL articulates compelling interdisciplinary research visions for computing, invents fundamental new technologies, conducts basic research activities that strengthen the state of the art, and inspires and educates future generations of scientists, technology leaders, and the public.

The CSAIL Alliance Program (CAP) is a gateway into the lab for organisations seeking a closer connection to the work, researchers and students of CSAIL. Members are connected to the whole lab – all 50 research groups spanning robotics, natural language processing, networks, databases, cryptography, web science and more.