UCI Receives $6M Award for Smart Cities and Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

Irvine, Calif., August 23, 2021 — The HORIBA Institute for Mobility and Connectivity² (HIMaC²) in the UCI Samueli School of Engineering has been awarded a $6M grant to establish a Public Road Network Platform for the development, evaluation, and deployment of emerging and future connected and autonomous vehicle technologies. The grant, awarded by the Vehicle Technology Office of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will equip 25 intersections at UCI and the adjacent City of Irvine with a next-generation lidar-based traffic sensor and analytics technology in collaboration with the DOE Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the UCI Institute of Transportation Studies, Velodyne Lidar, Bluecity Technology, Toyota Motor of North America, Pony.ai, and Hyundai Mobis. The team will study how traffic coordination based on reliable data and analytics can improve energy efficiency, traffic efficiency, air quality, and safety. Three fleets of ten vehicles, each with distinct modes of operation (independent driving, shared-use driving, and autonomous), will be utilized, and a workforce training program will also be developed in collaboration with Saddleback College.

"The public-private partnership catapults Irvine as a leading international contributor to the future of connected and autonomous transportation," according to the Principal Investigator, UCI Engineering Professor Scott Samuelsen. "By deploying automated monitoring and control in an intersection network, backbone data can be generated and utilized to demonstrate the improved safety, energy efficiency, and traffic flow to which cities aspire."

"The project is also a major achievement and recognition for the newly dedicated HORIBA Institute of Mobility and Connectivity²," said Professor Vojislav Stamenkovic, the inaugural HIMaC² Director. "This is a remarkable accomplishment with a welcomed collaboration with the City and ANL, the premier DOE national laboratory in vehicle technology."

"The City of Irvine is widely recognized for its vision in transportation planning and execution," said Mayor Farrah N. Khan. "We welcome fostering our close working relationship with UCI and pioneering the future of connected and autonomous vehicles with the goal of further improving — for our citizens — traffic safety and traffic flow."

About the HORIBA Institute of Mobility and Connectivity² (HIMaC²): A new institute within the Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) at the UCI Samueli School of Engineering. HIMaC2 is focused on the future of zero-emission vehicles, the integration of the energy and transportation sectors through electricity and hydrogen, and the emerging connected and autonomous vehicle technologies. The facilities encompass the Vehicle Evolution Laboratory, the Grid Evolution Laboratory, the Connected and Autonomous Mobility Laboratory, and the Analytic Laboratory.

About the University of California, Irvine (UCI): Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

About the City of Irvine: Since its incorporation in 1971, Irvine has become a nationally recognized city, with a population of 307,670 that spans 66 square miles and is recognized as one of America's safest and most successful master-planned urban communities. Top-rated educational institutions, an enterprising business atmosphere, sound environmental stewardship, and respect for diversity all contribute to Irvine's enviable quality of life. This family-friendly city features more than 16,000 acres of parks, sports fields and dedicated open space and is the home of Great Park. For more information, please visit cityofirvine.org.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.

[Related links] Advanced Power and Energy Program
www.apep.uci.edu
cityofirvine.org

[Keywords]
HIMaC2
APEP
Energy
Environment
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles