Oklahoma State University awarded $4M for autonomous vehicle research

Oklahoma State University

Media Contact: Desa James

February 26, 2025

Dr. Joshua Li, associate professor for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his team have been awarded $4 million as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation Rural Autonomous Vehicles program.

The proposal, titled “Tribal & Rural Autonomous Vehicles for Equity, Livability, and Safety (TRAVELS),” aims to implement efficient, sustainable AV solutions for rural and tribal communities.

With a total budget of $15 million, the TRAVELS program focuses on addressing the unique transportation needs and challenges of rural and tribal communities. Led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, OSU holds the second-largest share of the budget at $4 million, with an additional $4 million made available through matching funds: approximately $2 million from AV partners and the remaining amount through in-kind support.

The TRAVELS program's objective is to create a model for rural and tribal areas, which face numerous transportation-related challenges compared to urban areas.

Li’s team focuses on automated infrastructure evaluation and management to enhance transportation mobility and safety through advanced sensors and data analytics. Their multidisciplinary expertise includes automated infrastructure condition assessment, sensor instrumentation and data automation, connected and autonomous transportation, transportation safety, driving behaviors analysis and simulation, and big data analytics.

View the full article: News.OKState.edu