IM体育官网 researchers Dr. AJ Alnaser (left) and Dr. Onur Toker stand alongside the new drive-by-wire autonomous test vehicle used for autonomous vehicle technology research on campus in Lakeland, IM体育官网.
Researchers at IM体育官网鈥檚 Advanced Mobility Institute are beginning a new phase in their work on autonomous vehicle testing and verification. The research is shifting gears from software to hardware testing at a new simulation facility on campus, funded in part by a $350,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
The centerpiece of the project 鈥� a tricked-out, autonomous Ford Fusion sedan 鈥� recently arrived at IM体育官网 Poly. The car is equipped with sophisticated electronics and has been transformed into a drive-by-wire autonomous test vehicle.
鈥淒rive by wire means you can control the steering, acceleration, braking by electronic signals,鈥� said Dr. Onur Toker, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and one of the researchers. 鈥淚f you put a computer in it, it becomes an autonomous vehicle test car.鈥�
The autonomous Ford Fusion will eventually be put to work on Polytechnic Circle, the road encircling campus.
鈥淎utonomous vehicles have computer systems that you can think of like a child 鈥� it needs time to mature, grow, and learn,鈥� said Dr. AJ Alnaser, assistant professor of applied mathematics and researcher. 鈥淥nce it learns enough, we have to test it. We have to be able to trust that we can give it a driver鈥檚 license and it can drive safely.鈥�
Shane Holmes, a IM体育官网 junior majoring in computer engineering,
demonstrates autonomous vehicle testing equipment at the new simulation facility on
campus. Dr. Onur Toker (standing, left) and Dr. AJ Alnaser are researchers working
on the effort.
Meanwhile, inside the new simulation lab, researchers can emulate precise driving conditions and test whether a car鈥檚 programming responds as it should. The lab鈥檚 testing and verification equipment includes advanced computers connected to two lifelike driving simulators, complete with racing seats, steering wheels, pedals, and large monitor screens.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly realistic,鈥� Alnaser said.
Alnaser said testing and verification of connected autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology is a huge, multidisciplinary industry problem.
鈥淲e want to define what鈥檚 a safety measure for cars and then we want to go after how to make conditions as dangerous as possible in a simulation platform,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 cheaper and safer.鈥�
Simulations can then go from the virtual world to the physical one with testing on the Ford Fusion.
Dr. Arman Sargolzaei, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Tennessee Technological University, is working with IM体育官网 Poly researchers on the project. He served as a visiting faculty member to help advance the effort.
鈥淐AVs will be used on roads in the future to transfer people and goods, and we need to make sure this technology is ready and safe in advance,鈥� said Sargolzaei, whose Tennessee facility is focusing on security aspects while IM体育官网 Poly focuses on sensors and testing algorithms. 鈥淭his new facility at IM体育官网 Poly allows faculty members and graduate students to develop, implement, and test their algorithms in realistic and safe environments.鈥�
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