The deployment of Automated Vehicles (AVs) promises to fundamentally change the way people travel, but its success hinges on tackling critical research gaps, as outlined in the recent response by the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) and Computing Research Association (CRA) to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Request for Information,  written by Gabrielle Allen (University of Wyoming), Haley Griffin (Computing Community Consortium/Computing Research Association), Ming Lin (University of Maryland), Manish Parashar (University of Utah), and Weisong Shi (University of Delaware).

Read the RFI >>>

Here’s a look at the most vital areas for coordinated national research according to the authors.

1. Standardizing Data and Learning from the Edge

To ensure safe, data-driven deployment, we must establish comprehensive data frameworks that standardize information on AV interactions and their impact. A central recommendation is creating a National Edge-Case Commons.

• Edge-Case Commons: This shared repository would collect and share data on “long-tail failures”—rare but foreseeable high-risk scenarios (like the Waymo and Cruise incidents) that stall public trust and nationwide scaling. This program would use a shared taxonomy and schema and enable privacy-preserving uploads of sensor data and decision traces. It turns one operator’s hard-won safety lesson into a gain for everyone, much faster.
• Data Standards and Integration: Research is needed on data standards and interoperability models to create datasets for algorithm development. Also essential is an API and vehicle interface for seamless, standardized data exchange.

2. Infrastructure, AI, and Software Updates 

Infrastructure must evolve to support AV technology, particularly in challenging environments.

• Resilient Edge AI for Low-Connectivity Corridors: For rural areas lacking reliable broadband, research should focus on distributed AI architectures that allow real-time, safety-critical inference at the edge—in the vehicles or roadside stations—without requiring continuous cloud access.
• National Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) Update Framework: There is a demand for better infrastructure like a National Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) Update Framework that would deliver new features, AI improvements, and safety fixes wirelessly. A national framework is needed to define common data schemas and APIs for update telemetry, ensuring these essential updates are safe, interoperable, and cryptographically verifiable to address cybersecurity risks and uphold data integrity.
• Adverse Condition Perception: Most AV research is benchmarked in urban, temperate settings. We need new research on sensor fusion algorithms and physics-informed AI models for adverse conditions (snow, ice, high winds). This includes foundational research on intelligent roadside sensing systems using LiDAR, radar, and weather sensors to provide robust, “beyond-the-horizon” environmental awareness.

3. Human Interaction and Public Trust 

Deployment requires addressing how AVs interact with humans and how transparency can build public confidence.

• Mixed Autonomy Dynamics: Research must characterize interactions between AVs, human drivers, pedestrians, and micromobility systems (scooters, bicycles). A key focus is resolving issues like non-verbal communication and right-of-way protocols at high-risk intersections and in poor weather.
• Explainable Decision-Making: Leveraging the Evidence Act, a robust infrastructure for logging and storing AV data is needed. AV decision-making must be explainable so that in case of an accident, reconstruction can occur to determine the cause and assess if it is a systematic mistake.
• Data Storage as the Backbone: A federal investment in a standardized, secure, and interoperable storage framework will provide the “backbone” for normalizing, archiving, and sharing AV data across jurisdictions. This crucial infrastructure is essential for evidence-based evaluation, reproducible research, and building public trust.

Addressing these research priorities through coordinated national effort is essential to realize the promise of safe and scalable automated vehicle technology across the U.S. transportation system. Access the full RFI, as well as other past CCC RFIs, on the CCC Responds to the Community page.