The opening of David Hambling’s new Popular Mechanics piece about safeguarding driverless cars from theft and diversionary tactics in a future world in which unmanned delivery trucks and drones become ubiquitous:

“In a few years’ time, once we get used to the idea of Google’s self-driving cars, it’s conceivable that autonomous trucks will take over the delivery industry. But while a driverless vehicle might bring with it big advantages, such as being less prone to accidents than a big rig with a road-weary driver behind the wheel, a question remains: How will driverless cars defend themselves? 

David Mascarenas, a researcher who studies cyber-physical systems at Los Alamos National Lab, says that as more robots venture out on their own, their creators are already struggling with how to protect them. During an exercise in Narragansett Bay, R.I., this summer, the U.S. Navy had to warn off at least one individual attempting to grab a miniature robot sub. In June, Cockrell School of Engineering assistant professor Todd Humphreys showed how drones could be decoyed into landing in the wrong place by deceiving their GPS. Mascarenas’s own involvement started with protecting expensive structural sensors now being placed on bridges to monitor their condition.”