Students at Lawrence Technological University to learn self-driving car technology thanks to National Science Foundation grant

Eight students from around the country are spending the summer at Lawrence Technological University where they will learn self-driving vehicle technology in a project created by Computer Science professor C.J. Chung. Chung created the project after receiving a Research Experiences for Undergraduates grant from the National Science Foundation. This is the third and final year the project will run under the NSF funding.

According to an article on Lawrence Technological University’s website, Chung explained the summer program and what the students will be doing. He said, “Students will design and implement robust algorithms to self-steer real vehicles to drive on a test course with an intersection using traditional and AI methods. In addition, they will develop V2X—vehicle to everything—communication algorithms that can help improve traffic efficiency and safety. Their designed algorithms and test results will be published in academic papers, and their developed code will be publicly available.”

As part of the program, the eight students will live in dorms at Lawrence Tech for the eight weeks of the program and will receive a $6,880 stipend. The participants were chosen from a pool of 86 applicants, and include Jason Chen from The University of Southern California, Luis Escamilla from New Mexico State University, Michael Evans of Old Dominion University, Benat Froemming-Aldonado from The University of Minnesota, Rickey Johnson from North Carolina A&T State University, Marcial Machado of Ohio State University, Tatiana Rastoskueva from The University of Arizona, and Anna Vadella from Butler University. The students will have access to two Polaris GEM electric vehicles that have been modified to be outfitted with self-driving technology. 

Chung is working with Joshua Siegel, who is an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at Michigan State University, and Mark Wilson, who is a professor of urban and regional planning at MSU. The idea for the program came from Chung’s 21 years working with students who are competing in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition, of which Lawrence Technological University is the reigning champion for the past six years. 

For more information about Lawrence Technological University, visit the school’s website.