Driverless Car Hits the Road

Eight engineering and computer science undergraduates from throughout the United States have been working this summer to advance driverless car technology. Using the UA’s Cognitive and Autonomous Test, or CAT, vehicle, they will put their research to the test on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014 as they demonstrate their projects. 

The students -- whose projects ranged from designing path-following controllers to using spinning lasers to detect obstacles -- will be available during intervals to answer questions about their research. Faculty, administrators and students participating in other summer research programs across the campus will attend, and the public is invited to see the driverless car in motion.

The demo will be from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in UA parking lot No. 3039, adjacent to electrical and computer engineering and south of architecture, near Second Street and North Palm Drive.

The students, who otherwise may not have had opportunities to participate in a high-profile research project, were selected from among 70 applicants for the 10-week National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program at the University.

The program was run by electrical and computer engineering associate professor Jonathan Sprinkle, who won an NSF Career Award in 2013 and whose research in complex autonomous systems is internationally recognized.