The University of Iowa’s longstanding leadership in driving simulation research was on full display last week at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California. NASA hosted a major workshop on “Lunar Autonomy Mobility” for the South Pole Pathfinder/Rover project, where the University of Iowa was represented by current and former faculty, researchers, and alumni.

Three faculty and scientists from the University of Iowa College of Engineering, along with two distinguished alumni from the original Iowa Driving Simulator program, participated in the event. The Iowa Driving Simulator program was the foundation for the later establishment of the National Advanced Driving Simulator, a premier facility for vehicle research worldwide.

Daniel McGehee, professor of industrial and systems engineering and director of the Driving Safety Research Institute (home to the National Advanced Driving Simulator), opened the workshop with a presentation on the University of Iowa’s rich history in driving simulation. He also highlighted the sophistication of the DSRI facilities and their simulation capabilities for supporting advanced lunar rover studies. 

Other University of Iowa presenters included Chris Schwarz (UI PhD, electrical and computer engineering, 1998), director of engineering modeling at DSRI, and Hiroyuki Sugiyama, professor of mechanical engineering. They were joined by two distinguished alumni:

• Dan Negrut, Bernard A. and Frances M. Weideman professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UI PhD, ME, 1998), and
• Richard Romano, professor emeritus at the University of Leeds (UI PhD, ISE, 1999) and currently serving in a leadership role at General Motors’ lunar rover program.

“Having five senior engineers and scientists with such deep experience in vehicle dynamics, human systems engineering, and simulation highlights the global impact of the University of Iowa’s programs in this field,” said McGehee.

The workshop underscored the critical role that expertise in vehicle simulation and autonomy will play in the future of lunar exploration, a field in which the University of Iowa has been a pioneer for over three decades.

About the University of Iowa Driving Safety Research Institute
The National Advanced Driving Simulator at the Driving Safety Research Institute is one of the most sophisticated ground vehicle simulators in the world. Since its founding, DSRI has been a leader in human factors research, vehicle dynamics, crash avoidance, and autonomous systems engineering, contributing to transportation safety on Earth — and maybe someday on the Moon.