Research announced into the safety of autonomous vehicles

The funding has been awarded to the University of Portsmouth and University of West London, UK, by the ASIS Foundation, to allow them to investigate autonomous vehicle (AV) security and regulations.

The project aims to address questions regarding the effectiveness of current regulatory frameworks and standards for governing the secure and safe expansion of AV use over the next decade.

Additionally, it will explore how these regulations respond to threats, risks and opportunities in the security sector. 

The research will offer evaluation of the diverse challenges associated with AV deployment, including an assessment of current legal and ethical environments in civil and military settings, identification of existing regulatory frameworks, exploration of new regulations, and analysis of potential threats related to state and commercial intellectual property theft. 

Professor Peter Lee, Director of Security and Risk Research and Innovation at the University of Portsmouth, says, ‘AVs have taken the world by storm in recent years, with popularity outstripping knowledge.  

‘Technology has moved so fast, so it has been hard for security and regulators to keep up…This new research will enable us to bridge the gap and understand what the future considerations and solutions could be.’

Researchers aims to develop a comprehensive guide for security practitioners.