NEWS BRIEFS Developing minds and robots
Bivan Shrestha cuts material for the car’s body
Robotic car platform with Raspberry Pi, motor controller, and power supply mounted and wired
Three local high school students participated in an internship at NADS this past summer, during which they created a robotic vehicle platform that demonstrates automated vehicle (AV) concepts. The aim of the project was to recreate the AV testing paradigm in miniature using both a physical vehicle as well as a simulation environment. The students were able to make progress on both fronts and would like to continue to work on the project in their spare time. With a vehicle and simulation, they used AI deep learning concepts to train the vehicle to drive on a road in simulation, then transferred the control over to the real car. A future extension to the car could be to add a trailer and train it to back up—a problem common to heavy tractor-trailers. “Workplace Learning Connection offers high school students amazing opportunities to explore their career interests,” said Chris Schwarz, PhD, director of engineering and modeling research. “These interns were bright, enthusiastic, and eager to dive into this project.”
30 | nads.uiowa.edu
