Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian highlighted the collaboration among government, academia and industry that has propelled Pennsylvania’s autonomous vehicle (AV) industry forward during an event Wednesday outlining new legislation regulating AVs in the commonwealth. 

The legislation, unveiled at CMU's Mill 19 facility at Hazelwood Green by state Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee; and Yassmin Gramian, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, would update Pennsylvania's policies around autonomous vehicles to mirror requirements in other states.

Jahanian said that the global market for the autonomous vehicle industry will reach about $7 trillion dollars by 2050, with the potential to create countless jobs for workers of all education and skill levels.

"While the economic impact of AV promises to be extraordinary, it also holds remarkable potential to enhance quality of life for citizens across the nation and contribute to solving significant societal challenges," Jahanian said, adding that benefits could include improvements to traffic safety and infrastructure maintenance and reductions in carbon emissions. He also noted that the technology's implications could extend to logistics, sustainability, medical care and expanding opportunities for independent living.

Carnegie Mellon faculty and students have played key roles in launching the field of autonomous technology, including winning the Department of Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Urban Challenge in 2007 with the Boss SUV. Over the years, CMU has filed at least 205 invention disclosures for AV technologies.

CMU faculty and students have also studied topics related to AV technology such as navigation algorithms, energy use, lidar, government policies and how smarter cars can lead to smarter cities. CMU is also home to Mobility21, a National University Transportation Center funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation that focuses on safely and efficiently improving the mobility of people and goods in the 21st century.

Read more about the proposed legislation and CMU's impact on autonomous driving on the CMU News site.