Researcher searches pornography for science

Pavlo Bazilinskyy, an assistant professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, searched PornHub's amateur section for "public transport" videos to understand what people might do in driverless cars with no authority figure watching.

“People are hard to predict.”

Robotaxis are already on the road

Self-driving taxis without human drivers have started picking up passengers in several countries, including the United States. This makes the question of passenger behavior inside these vehicles suddenly urgent and real.

Workshop tackles the awkward question

Bazilinskyy and colleagues are hosting an industry workshop in Gothenburg, Sweden to brainstorm how to prevent sexual activity in autonomous vehicles. Participants from academia and companies like Volvo, BMW, and Google will design physical and technological interventions.

Bad behavior could tank public trust

Alexandros Rouchitsas, an engineering psychologist on the team, worries that if self-driving cars become known for sexual activity and hedonism, the public will reject the technology. He wants autonomous mobility seen as serious and equitable, especially for elderly people and those with disabilities.

“We want automated mobility solutions to be seen as something that is equitable, serious, societally minded.”

Design solutions could prevent multiple harms

Proposed interventions include transparent vehicle walls or lights that blink when sensors detect inappropriate behavior. Preventing sexual activity could also help designers stop robbery, bullying, and violence in shared autonomous spaces.