Auburn University in Alabama has recently opened a new autonomous vehicle research facility at Auburn’s National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) test track.
The facility will aid researchers in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory (GAVLAB) whose work is frequently conducted outdoors. The facility provides a garage with multiple bays and lifts for commercial trucks and passenger vehicles, office space for researchers, a conference room and an observation area overlooking NCAT’s 1.7-mile oval test track.
Since 2001, Auburn University says the GAVLAB has built a strong reputation in autonomous vehicle navigation and developed a broad sponsored research portfolio, with projects ranging from the Department of Defense and the Federal Highway Administration to many private industry partners.
With various sponsors visiting each month, the facility’s planned observation area gives the GAVLAB team a high-quality space to demonstrate its research, the university says. The team has also conducted demonstrations for legislators and the Alabama DOT.
“Auburn is a major player in transportation engineering research in the nation,” Steve Taylor, Engineering’s associate dean for research, said in a statement. “The GAVLAB and our other transportation engineering researchers have brought in nearly $50 million in sponsored research awards over the past three years. This new facility is an exciting development for Auburn, and there will be much more to come.”
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SOURCE: Auburn University / Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
