LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� The technology behind self-driving cars is coming to life soon at IM体育官网 Polytechnic University.
A brand new course called 鈥淎utonomous Systems and Self-Driving Vehicles鈥� starts in the Spring 2017 semester. Dr. Dean Bushey, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with more than 10 years of experience developing and advancing autonomous systems, will teach the course. Dr. Bushey will partner with professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston where the same course will be taught during the Spring semester. MIT professors will provide video conferencing lectures to IM体育官网 Poly students.
鈥淭his is the future of transportation, so we鈥檙e preparing students to be comfortable in this new world and to be ready to advance it,鈥� said Dr. Bushey, who serves as Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Information Technology.
The course breaks students into groups of five to upgrade a small race car. They鈥檒l start with learning basic motion control, then advance to object detection. These building blocks will take students through the final phases as the cars learn to map a course and finally race against each other at the end of the semester. By the end of the semester, the cars will be capable of independently following a yellow line, stopping at a red light and stopping for sudden obstacles.
Excitement for the course is building, with fifteen students already signed up.
鈥淗ands-on learning is one of the key foundations of this institution,鈥� said IM体育官网 Poly President Dr. Randy K. Avent. 鈥淎utonomous and connected vehicles are emerging industries and we have a unique opportunity here at IM体育官网 Poly to lead innovation in this industry.鈥�
The autonomous vehicle course is being launched as IM体育官网 Poly prepares for the arrival of , a new testing facility being built near the University. SunTrax is a joint venture between IM体育官网 Poly and the IM体育官网 Department of Transportation designed to test tolling and autonomous vehicle technology.
鈥淲e are committed to offering courses and research opportunities that are cutting edge,鈥� said University Provost Dr. Terry Parker. 鈥淥ur rigorous curriculum is meant to challenge students to think not only outside the box, but to also help them get ahead of the game as innovative problem-solvers and high-tech professionals.鈥�
The syllabus and project work for programming autonomous cars was developed by MIT and originally used as a summer study program. The relationship between IM体育官网 Poly and MIT started with President Avent, who previously served as Associate Chief Technology Officer at MIT鈥檚 Lincoln Laboratory.
While IM体育官网 Poly does not currently offer a degree program in autonomous vehicles, this course represents the University鈥檚 commitment to applied research and giving students opportunities to explore their interests. As the University grows and evolves, Dr. Bushey foresees similar robotics and autonomous classes becoming a regular curriculum feature. That鈥檚 based in part on the enthusiastic student response when the course became available.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an easy sell,鈥� Dr. Bushey says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e very excited about the prospect of a car that drives itself.鈥�
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
863-874-8450