Say good-bye to traffic jams

Will commuting ever be easy? Yes, and even fun — if technology has its way.

Getting from point A to point B in today’s crowded cities isn’t particularly enjoyable. More often than not, it’s a horrendous experience and getting worse as populations shift to urban areas worldwide.

But advances in memory, compute, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and other technologies promise to make the daily commute not only a lot easier but even enjoyable.

So say the experts of the riveting panel discussion, “Multimodal Mobility: The Future of Transportation.”

“We’re trying to solve the two most pressing issues in urban mobility…high congestion levels…and sustainable transportation within cities” says Rene Griemens, chief financial officer at Germany-based “air taxi” startup Volocopter.

But how to relieve congestion in sustainable ways? Each of the panelists has a different perspective. Tune into this stimulating discussion moderated by Techonomy editor-in-chief David Kirkpatrick for several insights into the future of transportation:

• Coordinating and streamlining private-public transit. Hear Tiffany Chu, founder and chief operating officer at the urban transportation software company Remix, explain how gathering and analyzing data using artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and other technologies can orchestrate and sync transportation services, including not just commuter trains and buses but also scooters, bicycles and other forms of transportation. This coordination and streamlining will transform the experience of moving from one place to another.
• Taking to the skies. Listen as Volocopter’s Griemens explores the possibilities of traffic in the “third dimension” — the space above the cityscape — as we move travelers off the highways and into the skyways.
• Freeing up the driver. Hear John Suh of Hyundai’s CRADLE innovation lab admit that self-driving cars may face resistance from a certain group — and what needs to happen before those skeptics embrace vehicle autonomy.

As a bonus, find out why Suh shrugs off the notion of data as the “new oil,” declaring instead that “data is the new dirt.”