A few recent examples of our work with connected and automated vehicles (CAVs):

  • How do human interact with automated vehicle technologies, such as during transitions of control and measuring trust in the technology? 
  • How do automated vehicles perform on rural roadways? 
  • How can connected vehicles communicate with each other to improve safety in rural settings?

Project spotlight: ADS for Rural America

ADS for Rural America is funded by the U.S. DOT and aims to improve safety on our roadways, represent rural roads in AV research, and broaden mobility for those in rural areas. 

NADS research vehicles on rural road

ADS for Rural America

Visit our project website to learn more about this demonstration project that used an automated shuttle bus on Iowa roads. 

ADS for Rural America

News: Connected and automated vehicles

An aerial view of two women sitting in the front of a Volvo XC90 while using adaptive cruise control/

The ADAS experts

Monday, February 12, 2024
Our investigators have been working on a series of studies analyzing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology and consumer understanding of ADAS features.
2023 Annual Report cover

2023: A Year in Review

Monday, January 1, 2024
Check out our recent highlights and accomplishments from the Driving Safety Research Institute, home of the National Advanced Driving Simulator.
ADS Webinar 5 screenshot

ADS Webinar #5 recording: 9 Things to Know When Testing AVs on Rural Roads

Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Watch the recording of our fifth webinar to learn about our top nine challenges and successes from testing a highly automated vehicle on rural Iowa roads, including driving under automation on gravel, in winter weather, using high speeds (65 mph), and more.
AVs in Rural America: What's the Holdup?

TR News article published: 'Automated vehicles in rural America: What’s the holdup?'

Friday, October 13, 2023
TR News recently published an article with two of our Iowa team authors titled 'Automated vehicles in rural America: What’s the holdup?'
Omar Ahmad and Alec La Velle

Representing Rural America: Testing Automated Driving on Rural Roads

Friday, July 7, 2023
The University of Iowa is leading the way in testing a highly automated vehicle on unmarked and gravel roads, in winter weather, and at highway speeds.
Gazette screenshot

UI researchers’ highly-automated van has ‘amazing potential’ for rural areas

Wednesday, June 14, 2023
The Gazette reports: The white Ford Transit could be a campus shuttle or a rural transit service van. Only those aboard the vehicle knew it was driving itself around the University of Iowa’s Oakdale research campus. ...
KCRG screenshot

Univ. of Iowa researchers become one of the first to test driverless bus on rural roads

Wednesday, June 14, 2023
KCRG reports: The University of Iowa is shared their results on a self-driven bus that has traveled hundreds of miles throughout rural Iowa. ...
KWWL screenshot

Automated vehicles could become a viable transportation alternative

Wednesday, June 14, 2023
KWWL reports: In Coralville on Tuesday, the Driving Safety Research Institute showed off the results of 2.5 years of research into automated vehicles on rural roads. ...
River to River, Iowa Public Radio

Listen: A ride in University of Iowa's automated vehicle

Thursday, April 20, 2023
On this special on-the-road edition of IPR's 'River to River,' director Dan McGehee, safety lead Cheryl Roe, and instrumentation lead Greg Wagner take IPR host Ben Keiffer for a ride in their automated vehicle.
Iowa City postcard with John McGivern

John McGivern's Main Streets - Iowa City, Iowa

Friday, April 14, 2023
We were recently featured in the Iowa City episode of John McGivern's Main Streets showcasing many of Iowa City's hidden gems. Check out this episode to see why Iowa City is a town for everyone!
Webinar 4 screenshot

ADS for Rural America Webinar 4: Data Portal recording now available

Thursday, April 13, 2023
The recording is now available from our fourth ADS for Rural America webinar, this one focusing on our data portal and accessing our data.
ADS for Rural America Ford transit on rural road

ADS for Rural America: Lessons learned so far

Monday, February 20, 2023
As of fall 2022, we're more than halfway done with our 2.5-year ADS for Rural America Project. The development of any new technology requires lessons learned along the way. This article explores the lessons we have learned in the first half of this U.S. DOT-funded demonstration project.
Webinar 3 screenshot

Recording available for webinar 3: Rider and safety driver experience

Friday, February 3, 2023
A recording is now available of our third webinar on our ADS for Rural America project, which included video interviews of past riders, results of rider surveys (including their anxiety levels and perceptions of the technology), as well as safety driver experience and perceptions.
Camry cab inside the NADS-1 simulator

Taking control in Level 3 Automation

Thursday, January 26, 2023
This article summarizes findings from two recent studies that our researchers have worked on with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) examining the various aspects of transition of control (TOC) between human drivers and periods of automated driving.
2022 NADS Annual Report cover

2022 Annual Report now available

Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Our 2022 annual report is here! We have spent the past year researching automated vehicles, traffic safety, drugged driving, and much more. Plus, read about our upcoming name change to "Driving Safety Research Institute" on page 3.
Inside NADS-1 simulator

NADS lands contract with NHTSA for automated vehicle research

Thursday, October 20, 2022
The University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) has secured a contract with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for a project that will look at roadway interactions between human-driven and automated vehicles.
Webinar 2 screenshot

Recording of Webinar 2: Vehicle Hardware and Software now available

Thursday, September 29, 2022
The recording is now available for webinar about our vehicle, including details on the installed hardware and integrated software system, along with some lessons learned and advice for others embarking on similar projects.
ADS for Rural America Shuttle Bus on Rural Road

On the Rural Road to Autonomy

Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Automated Driving System program looks to raise the bar for self-driving in the country.
Hexagon's Sri Mushty, one of the autonomous software specialists working on our automated vehicle

ADS for Rural America update: July 2022

Tuesday, July 12, 2022
We recently started Phase 3 (of 6) of our project, with the help of one of our tech partners, Hexagon | AutonomouStuff. See also how our co-pilot display works.
image of Dr. Daniel McGehee on a blue screen

PAVE Panel "Digital Infrastructure in Highly Automated Driving" with Dr. Dan McGehee

Thursday, June 30, 2022
Check out the recording of last week's PAVE Panel "Digital Infrastructure in Highly Automated Driving" with Dr. Dan McGehee, director of the National Advanced Driving Simulator.
Blue screen with text " You are still the most important part of driving"

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) vs. Automation

Thursday, May 19, 2022
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are becoming more common in everyday vehicles. Watch our quick video to learn about the differences between ADAS and automation and your responsibilities as a driver.
ADS webinar 1 screenshot

ADS for Rural America webinar 1 recording: Focus on Safety

Sunday, April 3, 2022
Watch a recording of our first webinar about our ADS for Rural America project, "Focus on Safety," held on Thursday, April 21.
PAVE panel

McGehee, Ahmad appear on PAVE panel, see recording

Thursday, January 27, 2022
We're partnering with PAVE Campaign for their virtual panel "All AVs Are Local: Iowa's Automated Rural Shuttle" on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 1 p.m. CT! Join our own Dan McGehee and Omar Ahmad as they discuss our ADS for Rural America automated shuttle project, with a recording available after Feb. 2.
2021 NADS Annual Report

A year in review: Rural roads, drowsy driving, cannabis, and more

Tuesday, January 4, 2022
See what we’ve been up to in the past year in our NADS Annual Report, with stories about ADS for Rural America, driving drowsy, regenerative braking safety benefits, cannabis and driving, and more. 
Co-pilot and safety driver in the automated shuttle bus

ADS for Rural America project update: Dec. 2021

Friday, December 10, 2021
The ADS for Rural America project launched in October 2021 and has completed its first phase of data collection. See an example map and learn more about the roles of the safety driver and co-pilot.
Automated shuttle bus on rural Iowa road

Ride with us! Participation sign-up now open

Thursday, September 9, 2021
Want to ride in a partially automated vehicle with us? We’re now looking for people who are age 65 or older, have a disability that affects their mobility (age 25 or older), or have low vision impairment (age 25 or older). We’ll be stopping in Iowa City, Hills, Riverside, and Kalona.
Staff member Cherie Roe speaks with members of the public at the Johnson County Fair

Summer outreach events

Tuesday, July 27, 2021
We've had a great time so far this summer attending local outreach events to talk to people about our ADS for Rural America project. We've been to three of the four communities along our project route: Riverside, Hills, and Iowa City.
Automated shuttle bus on rural Iowa road

Photo Gallery: ADS for Rural America

Monday, June 14, 2021
Learn more about our ADS for Rural America project and our newly-equipped Ford Transit shuttle bus, set to be on Iowa roads later this summer.
ADS shuttle bus LiDAR

Case study: Automated Driving Systems for Rural America

Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Our tech partners Hexagon | AutonomouStuff in Morton, Illinois, have been busy with the final software integration and testing of our new automated vehicle, set to hit Iowa rural roads this summer.
ADS Transit with labels

Project update: Equipment installed on new research vehicle

Wednesday, March 10, 2021
The Transit shuttle bus for the University of Iowa's ADS for Rural America project has been equipped with automated driving technology by Illinois-based AutonomouStuff.
birds eye view of parking lot

Autonomous Lingo in the Repair Space

Friday, March 5, 2021
Advertising campaigns have been overestimating vehicle’s capabilities since the 1960s, but with today’s technology, hyperbolic language has the power to be dangerous. NADS Director Dan McGehee explains.
Iowa Magazine video: ADS for Rural America

Video: Automated Driving Systems for Rural America

Wednesday, February 10, 2021
How do people in rural areas who can’t drive get where they need to go? Decades down the road, “AVs could allow these people to continue to live independently,” says Omar Ahmad.
Tesla and Ford Transit, UI automated vehicles

Creating an Automated Shuttle for America’s Backroads

Thursday, January 28, 2021
An automated shuttle bus is about to hit Iowa roads next summer. Here's a brief update on our ADS for Rural America project by ADAPT, including how our vehicle is becoming automated at AutonomouStuff, LLC to how COVID-19 has impacted the project.
Iowa Magazine: The Road to the Future Runs Through Iowa

The Road to the Future Runs Through Iowa

Tuesday, December 15, 2020
University of Iowa researchers at the National Advanced Driving Simulator pave the way for the automated vehicles of tomorrow. But how soon before self-driving cars get here? Iowa's rural roads could hold the key.
Ford Transit shuttle bus at AutonomouStuff

ADS project update: Our vehicle is now becoming automated

Friday, December 4, 2020
Our Automated Driving Systems (ADS) for Rural America project vehicle, a Ford Transit, is being outfitted with technologies that will give it automated capabilities. Soon, the transit will arrive at the University of Iowa and our demonstration project and testing will begin.
Inside the NADS-1 simulator

NADS pulls in nearly $1.5M to further study transition of control in automated vehicles

Thursday, October 15, 2020
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) recently granted the University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) a $1.45 million award to further study transition of control in automated vehicles in a simulation environment.

The Rural Hurdle

Thursday, September 24, 2020
What happens when an autonomous vehicle is not on a coastline highway, but a gravel road that it has to navigate? That is precisely what Omar Ahmad and his team at the University of Iowa are hoping to answer.
Rural road automated driving

UI ramping up automated vehicle testing on local rural roads from $7M USDOT grant

Monday, August 10, 2020
Automated vehicle route to go through Iowa City, Hills, Riverside, and Kalona starting in 2021

Automated Vehicle Technology with Dr. Dan McGehee

Tuesday, December 24, 2019
We hear so much about self-driving vehicles but in reality how far away are they? My guest is Dr. Dan McGehee the Director of the Dan McGehee Image Dec 2019Human Factors and Vehicle Safety Research Division at the University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator in the College of Engineering. What he has to say about automated vs. autonomous vehicles may surprise you. What is really amazing is that his team works on projects that are 20 years ahead of production.
Connected driving on rural roads

Iowa researchers prepare rural roads for the future

Friday, October 4, 2019
Most roads in the U.S. are in rural areas, and the University of Iowa’s National Advanced Driving Simulator is working to make them safer and prepare them for a future with driverless vehicles.

A Cool 60 Million for Automated Driving R&D

Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded nearly $60 million in grant funding to eight projects in seven states to test the safe integration of automated driving systems (ADS). The grants seek to gather safety data to inform rulemaking and foster collaboration amongst state and local government and private partners.

Federal grant to help NADS study automated vehicles on rural roads

Thursday, September 19, 2019
The University of Iowa’s National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) received a $7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to study the safe deployment of automated vehicles in rural areas.

University of Iowa awarded $7 million from US DOT to test driverless technologies

Wednesday, September 18, 2019
The University of Iowa will put to use a $7.03 million grant it received from the U.S. Department of Transportation to test how automated driving systems safely can be introduced on the state’s roads.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Announces Automated Driving System Demonstration Grant Winners

Wednesday, September 18, 2019
U.S. Secretary of Transportation announced nearly $60 million in federal grant funding to eight projects in seven states to test the safe integration of automated driving systems (ADS) on our nation’s roadways.

Iowa Senate approves autonomous vehicle regulations

Friday, April 5, 2019
The Iowa Senate has approved legislation that would govern how autonomous vehicles operate in the state.

Steering Iowa toward automated vehicles

Friday, March 1, 2019
This Gazette article explores the future of automated vehicles in rural states like Iowa and gives a brief overview of the new research being done in Iowa by researchers at the Driving Safety Research Institute.

Knowing your car's assisted driving limits

Tuesday, October 30, 2018
A report released by AAA with information given from researchers by a team at the University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) shows advanced driver assistance systems have the ability to prevent 2.7 million crashes if installed on all vehicles, but researchers are finding those numbers can only be achieved if drivers are well-educated on their systems.

Connected vehicle example

Blind corners and cresting hills can be dangerous spots on rural Iowa roads. In a project with the Iowa DOT, we tested an alert system that alerts drivers to hazards on the road before the driver may see them.

Contact

Ahmad,Omar

Omar Ahmad

Title/Position
Deputy Director