Transportation
Transforming how the world moves.
MITRE CONNECTS
Building An Agile, Secure Transportation Sector
Moving people and goods in the US efficiently and safely is becoming increasingly complex as the transportation system of systems becomes more interconnected. Transportation is changing faster today than it has in the last 100 years with advanced automation for vehicles—as evidenced by driverless cars, trucks, and air taxis—looming just over the horizon. And that automation creates new opportunities and risks. Automation can address persistent challenges, such as safety, capacity, and resiliency, and also yield data on a scale never before seen. That data, as MITRE has shown in aviation, can offer unprecedented insights and opportunities. With this digital transformation come new cybersecurity risks.
At MITRE, we’re applying our multidisciplinary expertise to meet the future and transform transportation—from surface to space.
We’re focused on realizing holistic, intelligent, and people-centric transportation systems—systems that are resilient, safe, equitable for all users, and flexible in the face of constant change.
To achieve that vision, we’re conducting transformative research to test future concepts. We’re examining the public’s expectations for transportation’s future. We’ve outlined a path for achieving the next level of safety on the surface and in the air. And our safety management experts are advising organizations across the transportation ecosystem about how to efficiently incorporate safety at every level of their operations.
Technology is redefining surface transportation. The automation of our vehicles is increasing. Electric vehicles with their environmental benefits are gaining popularity. New modes of transportation are coming on the scene. Meanwhile, cyber security threats to our transportation systems are intensifying. MITRE research is accelerating the integration of transportation innovations. At the same time, we're addressing the new safety and security challenges they bring. As railroads and mass transit systems become increasingly digitized, cyber threats loom large. Our researchers are working to identify cyber security vulnerabilities so our defenses can be strengthened. Our work is also improving safety on our roadways. As automated driver assistance systems proliferate, we're studying how they perform in the real world. We've partnered with government and the automotive industry to make that possible. By analyzing our partners' combined data, we're providing actionable safety insights they couldn't get on their own. We're also promoting the safety of automated systems even before the rubber meets the road, by helping automated vehicle developers incorporate safety management throughout the design, development, and deployment of automated capabilities. That includes informing policy makers about key challenges and building in processes to ensure safety management systems are working effectively. In our Mobile Autonomous Systems Exploration lab, we're evaluating higher levels of autonomy, such as those designed for military use. We're testing the performance of automated systems under a variety of use cases. We're using machine learning to improve vehicle perception of the objects and terrain around it. And we're exploring how to capture the data that will best support future research. Our data-driven research is driving decisions about tomorrow's fleets of automated vehicles. In the meantime, micromobility services are taking our cities by storm. At MITRE, we're conducting groundbreaking research to illuminate the causes of accidents involving these new modes of transportation. We're also researching technical and policy solutions for protecting our most vulnerable road users. And we're sharing our findings to inform the policy and infrastructure investments that will enhance their safety. It's a dynamic time for transportation. At MITRE, we're applying our multidisciplinary expertise to meet that transformational future head on.
We’re also working to integrate new capabilities and new entrants to ensure operational efficiency as our transportation needs evolve. And we’ve created an immersive lab environment where we can connect across domains and stakeholders to tackle system-of-system challenges and identify solutions. By leveraging cross-functional expertise, MITRE's transportation and logistics modeling, simulation, and analytics immersive hub can provide insights into disruptions, assess risks, inform policy, and enhance resilience.
We’re working to identify the best paths toward enabling the transportation ecosystem to withstand and recover rapidly from threats. And, as our multi-modal transportation systems become increasingly interconnected with critical infrastructures, we’re exploring mechanisms to support vehicle-to-everything communication, cross-modal governance, and decision making.
MITRE is accelerating transportation modernization. We’re taking a whole-of-nation approach to enable government and industry to pursue collaborative strategies and solutions.
Latest News & Insights
Publication
Safety II White Paper: Assessing Resilience and Human Variability Within Aviation Safety
Impact Story
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: A Look at Their Rapid Rise in the U.S. Passenger Vehicle Market
Publication
Autonomous Systems and Counter-Autonomy: Positioning the U.S. for Economic and Security Advantage
Employee Voice
Marco Quezada: Thriving on Challenge
Fact Sheet
Collaborate for Automated Vehicle Safety
Publication
Nationally Scaling Transportation Advancements
Employee Voice
Matt Fronzak: Connecting the Dots
Our Capabilities in Transportation
We provide essential engineering, research, and analysis to support our transportation sponsors in the performance of their missions through a system approach that addresses all dimensions required to effect change. We offer a range of expertise and specialized facilities that can be applied to pioneer integrated solutions that improve the safety, efficiency, and resiliency of the global transportation system.
