Socially compliant automated vehicles: new conceptual framework paves the way for safer mixed-traffic environments
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 2-Jan-2026 07:11 ET (2-Jan-2026 12:11 GMT/UTC)
Socially compliant automated vehicles (SCAVs) mark a new frontier in human-centric driving automation. Integrating sensing, socially aware decision-making, safety constraints, spatial-temporal memory, and bidirectional behavioral adaptation, the proposed framework aims for AVs to interpret, learn from, and respond to human drivers. By embedding social intelligence into automated driving systems, this research paves the way for vehicles that not only drive safely but also drive socially.
As cold weather sets in, viruses such as influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 are resurfacing. Quickly identifying symptomatic individuals is an essential part of any strategy to fight their spread. Yet, traditional thermal cameras, which measure facial temperature on the forehead or cheeks, are easily skewed by airflow, sweat, or face coverings—leading to unreliable readings.
To address this, a team at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) led by Professor Jinyang Liang, an expert in computational imaging, has developed SPIRIT (Single-pixel infrared imaging thermometry), a technology that could change how we screen for fever in public spaces.
A research team has unveiled a new method for stabilizing Pickering emulsions by combining ovalbumin (OVA), a protein from egg whites, with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), a cellulose derivative.
Japan faces the challenge of aging infrastructure, especially bridges, amidst lack of integration between field expertise and digital data. Providing a novel solution, a researcher from Hosei University, Japan, has proposed an integrated data model that merges two international standards—IFC and CityGML—to significantly streamline and advance maintenance workflows, including inspection, diagnosis, and repair planning, for aging infrastructure. This next-generation technology can lead to a society where future generations can live more securely.