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. 

News: Connected and automated vehicles

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.

Contact

Ahmad,Omar

Omar Ahmad

Title/Position
Deputy Director