These days most of the research related to autonomous vehicle technology focuses on vehicle technology itself and lesser on road infrastructure, including geometric design. This research project aims to lower the deficiency of research works required to make the optimized geometric road design for autonomous vehicle sustainable. In geometric design, significant concerns are designing the road geometrics such as lane width, the radius of horizontal curves, sag vertical curves and crest vertical curves, extra widening, setback distance, and intersection, making the road safer for the vehicles to travel comfortably.Road geometrics is widely designed using the stopping sight distance model, which provides sufficient time to avoid accidents and is efficient. Here in the research work, the stopping sight design model is used for autonomous vehicle technology. At first, the art of autonomous vehicle technology is studied, and a significant difference between autonomous vehicle technology and human-driven vehicle to apply stopping sight distance model is figured out. A literature study is also done for the geometric design of the road for the vehicle with the human driver and autonomous vehicle. The AASHTO model derived for the human-driven vehicle is used and modified for the autonomous vehicle, which gives the optimized geometric design for the autonomous vehicle. The Optimized geometric design parameter is designed individually in AutoCAD Civil 3D. Two road designs follow this in a random rural topography consisting of a normal road design for the vehicle with the human driver and a fully autonomous vehicle. Finally, the sustainability of optimized geometric design compared to road design for the human-driven vehicle is checked in terms of earthwork, pavement surface areas, and pavement materials volume. The result shows that the optimization of a geometric road design for autonomous vehicles is sustainable and extensive research is required.

Developments of commercial self-driving vehicle (SDV) technology has a potential for a paradigm shift in traffic control technology. Contrary to some previous research approaches, this research argues that, as any other technology, traffic control technology for SDVs should be developed having in mind improved quality of life through a sustainable developmental approach. Consequently, this research emphasizes upon the social perspective of sustainability, considering its neglect in the conventional control principles, and the importance of behavioral considerations for accurately predicting impacts upon economic or environmental factors. The premise is that traffic control technology can affect the distribution of advantages and disadvantages in a society, and thus it requires a framework of social justice. The framework of social justice is inspired by John Rawls' Theory of Justice as fairness, and tries to protect the inviolability of each user in a system. Consequently, the control objective is the distribution of delay per individual, considering for example that the effect of delay is not the same if a person is traveling to a grocery store as opposed to traveling to a hospital. The notion of social justice is developed as a priority system, with end-user responsibility, where user is able to assign a specific Priority Level for each individual trip with SDV. Selected Priority Level is used to determine the right-of-way for each self-driving vehicle at an intersection. As a supporting mechanism to the priority system, there is a structure of non-monetary Priority Credits. Rules for using Priority Credits are determined using knowledge from social science research and through empirical evaluation using surveys, interviews, and web-based experiment. In the physical space, the intersection control principle is developed as hierarchical self-organization, utilizing communication, sensing, and in-vehicle technological capabilities. This distributed control approach should enable robustness against failure, and scalability for future expansion. The control mechanism has been modeled as an agent-based system, allowing evaluation of effects upon safety and user delay. In conclusion, by reaching across multiple disciplines, this development provides the promise and the challenge for evolving SDV control technology. Future efforts for SDV technology development should continue to rely upon transparent public involvement and understanding of human decision-making. / Ph. D.

We present an active learning algorithm for identifying viable process conditions in magnetron sputtering experiments. The algorithm trains a classifier to predict which gas pressure and magnetron power combinations yield stable discharge with deposition rates exceeding a minimum threshold. A computation-based oracle that labels experiments using QCM readings facilitates a fully automated learning procedure, laying the groundwork for a self-driving lab where novel materials will be explored for next-generation solar cells. Upon evaluation, the active learning algorithm results in significantly higher sample efficiency than traditional supervised learning across a range of magnetron sputtering experiments. Moreover, a sampling sequence analysis shows that active learning enables an informed search of the process parameter space, generating patterns that approximate Paschen’s law. The work presented in this thesis serves as a first step toward a fully automated materials synthesis process, where the input region of viable synthesis parameters can be identified with minimal experimentation. The solution allows researchers to efficiently narrow the search space of optimal process conditions for targeted materials design.

Den tekniska utvecklingen, närmare bestämt introduktionen av fenomenet självkörande fordon, har medfört att det i skrivande stund föreligger viss oklarhet beträffande ansvarsfrågan enligt gällande rätt. Denna oklarhet har varit föremål för diskussion i ett delbetänkande från regeringen. I SOU 2016:28 finns sammanfattade förslag på reglering, däremot endast avseende försöksverksamheten ”Drive Me” som biltillverkaren Volvo ligger bakom. För att bemöta denna oklarhet har rättsläget diskuterats och problematiserats i hopp om ökad insikt i frågan. Detta utifrån framförallt skadeståndslagen, trafikskadelagen och produktansvarslagen samt generella skadeståndsrättsliga principer och ansvarsformer. Sammantaget har det kunnat konstateras att det inte finns någon självklar lösning på problemet, även om det i ett flertal situationer går att få en uppfattning av vad som vore juridiskt rimligt. Uppsatsen bidrar således till en problematisering av rättsläget inför den kommande harmoniseringen av teknik och juridik; ett steg i utvecklingen. / The technological development, specifically the introduction of the phenomenon of driverless vehicles, has meant that the time of writing, some ambiguity regarding the issue of liability under the law exists. This uncertainty has been discussed in an interim report from the government. Proposals on regulation are summarized in current SOU, however, only for the pilot project “Drive Me” as the automaker Volvo is behind. In order to address this uncertainty, the legal position has discussed and problematized in the hope of increasing awareness on the issue. Mainly from tort liability, Traffic damage Act, product liability law and liability forms and general principles of tort law. Overall, it´s been established that there is no obvious solution to the problem, although it´s possible to get an idea of what would be legally reasonable in a number of situations. The essay contributes thus to a discussion of problems of the legal position for the upcoming harmonization of technology and law; a stage of development.

Ce travail porte sur la conception d’un système capable d’effectuer des manœuvres de parking automatique plus polyvalent que ceux actuellement commercialisés, tout en conservant une définition technique des capteurs extéroceptifs limités en prix et en gabarit. Un cas d’usage typique est de permettre au véhicule de se rendre automatiquement dans la zone de garage du domicile de son propriétaire, cette fonction est classiquement appelée voiturier autonome à domicile. Partant de l’existant et connaissant les performances attendues, une architecture système et une architecture fonctionnelle ont été tracées. Cela a permis de constituer un ensemble de fonctions interconnectées qui ont participé dans la création d’une architecture software modulaire ainsi que dans la création des interfaces de connexion au véhicule prototype. Dans un premier temps, nous explorons la problématique de la détection d’obstacles. Partant d’un système propriétaire fermé de capteurs ultrason, nous avons réussi à réaliser une carte d’obstacle à un niveau de précision supérieur au produit d’origine. Une augmentation de la limite de détection des capteurs ultrason a été réalisée utilisant une technique Structure from Motion. Ces informations d’occupation ont été exploitées par la suite pour traiter la problématique de détection du couloir de navigation. Dans un second temps, la fonction de localisation du véhicule est abordée. Trois techniques de localisation collaborent pour une robustesse de fonctionnement continu : la localisation odométrique, la localisation par appariement des grilles d’occupation et la localisation par appariement entre une image actuelle et une base d’images adaptée à notre besoin et améliorée en termes de temps de calcul. Enfin, nous nous sommes intéressés à la problématique de navigation du véhicule. Nous avons considéré résolue la problématique de contrôle des actionneurs pour le suivi d’une trajectoire donnée et nous nous sommes concentrés sur la création d’une trajectoire admissible. Nous avons développé une technique de planification locale pour l’évitement d’un d’obstacles non cartographiés. Pour la construction de trajectoire nous avons utilisé des courbes à géométrie connue et avons montré qu’en utilisant trois clothoïdes et éventuellement deux arcs de cercle (si le braquage maximal est atteint) il est possible de créer des trajectoires à courbure continue adaptées à notre situation. Nous avons montré que l’utilisation d’une carte d’obstacles nous permet de prédire plus en avance de la possibilité d’emprunter un certain couloir de navigation. Chacune des parties de ce travail a fait l’objet de validations en simulation mais aussi sur des données réelles démontrant la pertinence des approches proposées quant à l’application visée. / This work covers the conception of a system capable to do automatic parking maneuvers more versatile than those already commercialized, respecting the technical definition of exteroceptive sensors limited by costs and weight. A typical use case is to set a vehicle to park autonomously in the parking lot of a home, function generally called autonomous home valet parking. Taking from the existing and knowing the expected performances, a system architecture and a functional architecture were drawn. This allowed to compose an assembly of interconnected functions that participated in the creation of modular software architecture, as well as in the creation of connection interfaces with the prototype vehicle. First, we explored the obstacle detection problem. Having a closed property system with ultrasonic sensors, we managed to build an obstacle map with a higher precision level than the build-in product. An increasing limit detection of the ultrasonic sensors was developed using the Structure from Motion technique. This obstacle occupancy information was exploited afterwards in order to solve the detection problem of the navigation corridors. Second, the vehicle localization is addressed. Three localization techniques work for a continuous functioning robustness: the localization by odometry, the localization by occupancy grid map matching and the localization by comparing the current image with the images stored in a database adapted to our needs and improved by computing means. Last, we interested in the vehicle navigation problem. We considered solved the actuator control problem for the tracking of a given trajectory and we concentrated on an admissible trajectory planning. We developed a local path planning technique for avoiding the unmapped obstacles. In order to build the trajectory we used curves of known geometry and we proved that by using clothoides and eventually two circle arches (if maximum steering angle achieved) it is therefore be possible to create trajectories with continuous curves adapted to our situation. We confirmed that using an obstacle map will allow us to predict forehead the possibility to take a specific navigation corridor. Each part of this work was validated in simulation as well as on real data, proving the pertinence of the proposed approaches for the intended application.

The main purpose of the study was to analyze whether age, gender and integrity affect the acceptance of self-driving cars. The theoretical framework TAM (Technology AcceptanceModel) is used as a starting point for acceptance where we set our variables against Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use that are the main variables in the model. A quantitative method has been applied and a survey was used for data collection. The survey was sent to 140 students. The response rate was 82 % involving a total of 116 respondents, of which 60 were women and 53 were men, where age ranged between 18-60 years old. The results of a T-test showed that there was a correlation between gender and acceptance of self-driving cars. The remaining variables could not be linked to acceptance in our study. The conclusion that we could make from this study was that there was a correlation between gender and acceptance of self-driving cars based on the cognitive mindset that is separated between the sexes. / Det huvudsakliga syftet med studien var att analysera ifall ålder, kön och integritet påverkar acceptans av självkörande bilar. Det teoretiska ramverket TAM (Technology AcceptanceModel) används som utgångspunkt för acceptans där vi ställde våra variabler gentemot den Uppfattade Användbarheten och den Uppfattade Användarvänligheten som är huvudvariableri modellen. En kvantitativ metod har använts och där ett frågeformulär skickades till 140 studenter. Svarsfrekvensen låg på 82% där totalt 116 respondenter, varav 60 kvinnor och 53 män i åldrarna mellan 18–60. Resultatet från ett T-test visade att det fanns samband mellan kön och acceptans av självkörande bilar. Resterande variabler kunde inte kopplas till acceptans i studien. Slutsatsen vi kunde dra utifrån denna studie var att det fanns ett samband mellan kön och acceptans av självkörande bilar, baserat på det kognitiva tankesättet som skiljs åt mellan könen.

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Why do some large organizations succeed during transformations and others do not? This thesis aims to contribute and expand the discussion of how product development capabilities could enable success during transformations. To investigate the problem, a qualitative case study was performed at a large transport and truck incumbent, Scania CV AB. The transport and truck industry is currently pressured to transform, both from a competitive and sustainability perspective. In order to become more adaptable to change, the thesis identified the importance of clearly applying ambidexterity as a strategy to cope with challenges that the transformation implies. However, when applying ambidexterity, interface challenges between exploitation and exploration occur. Success during transformations is mainly dependent on the management to handle those interface challenges properly. This thesis identified two main managerial practices that could benefit incumbents in the transport and truck industry to become more adaptable during a transformation phase. Firstly, a clear strategy of how to manage innovations over time could support large incumbents to leverage innovations for optimal experimentation, scalability, and later profit. Secondly, clear organizational alignment between functions to enhance communication and prioritization especially between exploitative and explorative business activities could support large incumbents to leverage radical innovations within the organization. This thesis argues that implementing structural ambidexterity combined with a clear and streamlined innovation transfer process in three distinct horizons for mature, growth, and future businesses will increase adaptability during transformation pressure. As the main area of future research, this thesis proposes to further investigate the opportunities of an open innovation strategy that leverages partnerships for co-creation in an increasingly interconnected transport ecosystem. / Hur kommer det sig att vissa företag lyckas under industriell förändring och andra inte? Syftet med denna uppsats är att bidra till, och utvidga, diskussionen om hur kapabiliteter inom produktutveckling kan främja en lyckad transformation. För att undersöka problemet genomfördes en kvalitativ fallstudie på ett etablerat företag inom transport och lastbilsindustrin, Scania CV AB. Transportindustrin är för närvarande under stor press, både från ett konkurrens- och hållbarhetsperspektiv. Denna studie visar att, för att bli mer adaptiv och hantera förändring, är det av yttersta vikt att implementera en tydlig strategi för en tvehänt (ambidextrous) organisation. En av de största utmaningarna vid en sådan implementation är dock de starka spänningar som uppstår i gränssnitten mellan det operationella och det utforskande inom organisationen. Hur de hanterar dessa utmaningar från ett ledarskapsperspektiv, kommer därav vara en av de främsta faktorerna till om företaget lyckas anpassa sig till förändring. I studien har två grundläggande principer för ledarskap identifierats, vilka kan hjälpa etablerade företag inom transport- och lastbilsindustrin att bli mer adaptiva under förändring. För det första, en tydlig strategi för att hantera innovation över tid, kan stötta ett etablerat företag att optimera innovation, skalbarhet och vinst. För det andra, en tydlig organisations- och ledarskapsinriktning som lyfter kommunikation och underlättar prioritering mellan förvaltande och utforskande aktiviteter och avdelningar. Denna studie argumenterar för strukturell separering av organisationen, kombinerat med en process för att överföra innovationer. Detta kan åstadkommas genom en uppdelning på tre horisonter; mognad, tillväxt och framtid, vilket kommer att öka företagets anpassningsförmåga under förändring. Denna studie har avgränsats till att inte närmare undersöka hur partnerskap kan hanteras i det allt mer sammankopplade transportsystemet. Detta är dock identifierat som ett möjligt behov av att närmare undersöka hur strategier för open innovation kan främja partnerskap och samproduktion inom området.

What are pedestrian attitudes towards driverless vehicles that have no human driver? In this paper, we use virtual reality to simulate a virtual scene where pedestrians interact with driverless vehicles. This was an exploratory study where 15 users encounter a driverless vehicle at a crosswalk in the virtual scene. Data was collected in the form of video and audio recordings, semi-structured interviews and participant sketches to explain the crosswalk scenes they experience. An interaction design framework for vehicle-pedestrian interaction in an autonomous vehicle has been suggested which can be used to design and model driverless vehicle behaviour before the autonomous vehicle technology is deployed widely. / Vad är fotgängares inställning till förare utan fordon som inte har någon mänsklig förare? I det här dokumentet använder vi virtuell verklighet för att simulera en virtuell scen där fotgängare interagerar med förare utan bil. Det här var en undersökande studie där 15 användare möter ett förarefritt fordon vid en korsning i den virtuella scenen. Uppgifterna samlades i form av video- och ljudinspelningar, halvstrukturerade intervjuer och deltagarskisser för att förklara de övergripande scenerna de upplever. En ram för interaktionsdesign för fordonets fotgängarinteraktion i ett autonomt fordon har föreslagits, vilket kan användas för att utforma och modellera körlösa fordonsbeteenden innan den autonoma fordonstekniken används brett.

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