The Roundtable on the Purpose of Autonomous Driving (ROAD)

The Roundtable on the Purpose of Autonomous Driving (ROAD) is an international conference discussing issues related to autonomous driving and advanced driving-assist technologies.

The first roundtable was held in Bavaria, Germany in June 2016 initiated by the Kempten University of Applied Sciences. Some 50 scientific and industrial experts gathered from Germany, Italy, France, the UK and Japan actively discussing the objective of autonomous driving from various viewpoints touching on issues such as improvement of user friendliness and safety, reduction of social loss and ethics.

The second roundtable was held in Nagoya, Japan in June 2017 hosted by the Green Mobility Research Institute, Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University which actively promotes the research and development of autonomous driving and advanced driving-assist technologies with an aim to maintain the vitality of aging societies. The event addressed issues regarding the promotion of autonomous driving and new social changes.

In May 2018, the third roundtable will be held in Starkville, MS, USA, home of Mississippi State University and its Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS). CAVS is an interdisciplinary research center engaged in research investigating off-road autonomous vehicles, pedestrian-vehicle interactions, and developing autonomous systems for industrial purposes. The event aims to address issues regarding the challenges and implications of implementation of autonomous systems in industrial and social environments.