ICT part of joint effort to advance connected and autonomous transportation

2/28/2023

The Illinois Center for Transportation is one of nine organizations partnering with University of Michigan to enhance and transform our transportation system.

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The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) is one of nine organizations partnering with the University of Michigan on an effort to enhance and transform our transportation system. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Michigan a $15 million grant to fund the project, which is led by the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation.

The five-year grant aims to address emerging technologies on autonomous vehicles and connected infrastructure. A key focus during this period is addressing cybersecurity needs for emerging transportation technologies.

Imad Al-Qadi
Imad Al-Qadi

ICT will work with various partners to transition the nation to connected and autonomous vehicles, focusing on connectivity between vehicles and transportation infrastructure.

The ICT team will include Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) professors Imad Al-QadiYanfeng Ouyang, Jeffery Roesler and Alireza Talebpour as well as ICT research scientist Angeli Jayme (MS 12, PhD 20).

“It’s an honor to continue our work with the University of Michigan and expand the partnership with other top institutions in the region to help shape the future of our transportation system,” said Al-Qadi, ICT director and UIUC Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering.

The 2023 grant is a renewal of a six-year DOT agreement awarded to Michigan in 2016, in which ICT served as one of six partners.

During that six-year period, the CCAT-led initiative made advances in training autonomous vehicles, moving toward driverless vehicles and developing communication between transportation infrastructure and vehicles.

CEE professors also led pioneering research on platoons of connected and autonomous freight trucks, drone delivery and innovative traffic guidance to improve safety as well as reduce traffic delays and damage to roads. Professors Al-Qadi, Ouyang, Roesler and Hadi Meidani as well as Arizona State University professor Hasan Ozer (PhD 11) led those efforts. 


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This story was published February 28, 2023.