Autonomous driving is within reach. Machine vision and artificial intelligence are now mature enough to make driverless vehicle technology inevitable, but significant legal, ethical and design challenges remain.

Autonomous vehicles will offer precision, speed, and reduced reaction times, but these changes impact how pedestrians, cyclists, those using public transit and those with mobility issues navigate urban spaces.

Can the systems that will control networks of autonomous vehicles be designed to mitigate the safety imbalances that exist today for anyone trying to get across a city without a car?

What impacts will a network of vehicles that communicate invisibly and instantaneously have on the way we provide visual cues and signage to other road users?

When autonomous cars are inevitably tasked with choosing one life over another in serious accidents, are systems in place to evaluate bias in the algorithms used to make these decisions?

This project comprises discursive design objects intended to spur critical engagement with the legal and ethical ramifications of autonomous driving. By positing these issues in visually digestible form, the project aims to empower the public to better understand the implications of autonomous driving technology before its implementation.

• https://www.dfthesis.com/2022#/greg-mart...