PAcT-Project - Progress und Status Quo - Are laws programmable?

01/25/2021

The PAcT project (Proving Accountability in Traffic), which is being conducted jointly with Prof. Matthias Althoff, Chair of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Real-Time Systems, and Prof. Tobias Nipkow, Chair of Logic and Verification in Computer Science, from the TU Munich, has been working on the question of the formalizability and programmability of legal rules since mid-2018.

The research is carried out on the example of traffic rules (e.g. the StVO, Straßenverkehrsordnung, rules of the road). The goal is to transfer the rules into a computer-readable version so that the computer can apply them independently. The system can thus classify different traffic scenarios and, for example, check them for conformity with the StVO. This makes it easier to reconstruct accident events, among other things. In addition, programmed legal rules can be used in the context of (partially) autonomous driving. The project work essentially consists of identifying the challenges that arise when transferring the text of the law into a programmable form and developing solutions within the scope of possibilities. Those involved in the project are currently also looking at the aspect of international comparative law and the possible cross-border applicability of programmed traffic regulations. In this context, they are considering the possibility of compiling and structuring jurisprudence in the area of traffic law and literature in a large, uniform database. The project participants are also focusing their attention on whether and how a comparison with expert opinions on traffic law is possible. Ultimately, the aim is to make effective use of the interface between technology and law.

Under the following link you can get an insight into the project work:
https://commonroad.in.tum.de/

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Althoff Sebastian Maierhofer