Celebrating 20 years of driver safety research
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or more than two decades, the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) at the University of Iowa has striven to improve safety by researching the connection between drivers, motor vehicles, and road users. A part of the UI College of Engineering and a division in the Center for Computer-Aided Design, NADS broke ground in 1998 after the UI won a highly competitive National Science Foundation grant. Throughout 2018, NADS hosted more than 100 tours for groups including local Boy Scout troops and elementary school students as well as national and international industry and government representatives. In fall 2018, as part of its 20th anniversary, NADS held an open house, welcoming nearly 300 visitors to its facility at the UI Research Park. Among the visitors were 60 children from Hills Elementary School, local leaders, the director of the Iowa Department of Transportation, university faculty and staff, and local community members. The open house included tours of the NADS-1 simulator dome, hands-on driving demonstrations of NADS’ portable miniSims and tractor simulator, and the chance to check out NADS’ growing fleet of automated vehicles, including a Tesla Model S75D. College of Engineering student groups — the SAE Team, Iowa Baja, and the ASME Solar Car Team — were also in attendance and set up shop in the NADS garage, sharing information about the vehicles they are building and racing. “While we have a long history in driving safety research, longevity alone doesn’t make you a leader,” said Dan McGehee, NADS director and associate professor of industrial and systems engineering. “Even before NADS opened its doors, our faculty, staff, and students endeavored to be the best. Our dedication to the work we do is truly what makes NADS a world leader.” Since its inception, NADS has generated millions of dollars in research funding. As a self-sustained research center, NADS partners with federal and state agencies, the auto industry, and various organizations to make roadways safer for everyone. In its first two decades, NADS simulators have been used in clinical and pharmaceutical trials, drugged driving research, highway design, safety training, military training and simulation, product testing, and much more.
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above: An open house guest tries out his driving skills on a NADS miniSim. right: Chris Schwarz, NADS director of engineering and modeling research, shows a group of Hills Elementary School students the John Deere cab in the NADS-1 simulator. middle: UI College of Engineering student and NADS miniSim team member Greg Beaver greets an open house visitor. far right: Cherie Roe, NADS Research Logistics, On-Road Vehicles, talks with Open House visitors about NADS’s automated vehicles.
Iowa Engineer 2019