Out of the numerous reveals at CES 2020 came an important update regarding the future of automated air transportation in the United States. 

US Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced the fourth iteration of the federal automated vehicle policy at CES 2020. The “Automated Vehicles 4.0: Ensuring American Leadership in Automated Vehicle Technologies” lays down the guidelines set by the federal government for 38 government agencies, departments, commissions and others. According to Chao, the intent of the policy is aimed at “maintaining highway safety while allowing development on AVs to flourish.”

The policy, called AV 4.0 for short, adheres to three key principles, according to Chao. Protect users and communities by prioritizing safety and emphasizing cybersecurity and privacy. Promoting efficient markets by protecting American intellectual property and streamlining regulations. And finally to facilitate coordinated efforts to ensure a consistent federal approach among the agencies and other bodies. “The takeaway from AV 4.0 is that the federal government is all in for safer, better and more inclusive transportation, aided by automated driving systems,” said Chao.

Regarding a subject related to aerial mobility, the Federal Aviation Administration recently released a notice of proposed rulemaking for remote identification of drones, which has “significant security implications” for the industry. Occurrences of “mystery drones” flying at night over Nebraska and Colorado provide a timely reminder of the need for this system, according to Chao.

US Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao details AV 4.0 at CES 2020.

Why it’s important: US federal automated vehicle policy is further defined, as autonomous air vehicle testing in North Carolina, USA, and artificial intelligence plans for remotely operated vehicles have new policies to follow. As many air taxi rideshare services plan to offer automated services either immediately or in the future, the guidelines set by AV 4.0 will have important implications for the enactment of their services. 

Source // Vision Systems Design