UB transportation researchers pose in front of Olli, the autonomous electric shuttle, in the Center for Tomorrow parking lot.
This Lincoln MKZ sedan is outfitted with roof-mounted cameras, a trunkload of computer hardware and other gadgets that enable it to navigate without human control.
UB uses the vehicle to conduct comprehensive testing of autonomous and connected vehicles to inform decisions regarding policy, safety, reliability and other next-generation transportation issues.
Researchers prepare to take off in Olli, the self-driving electric shuttle that UB took delivery of in 2018.
The Olli project is led by Adel Sadek (center), a professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. And the Lincoln project is led by Chunming Qiao (right), SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
The vehicles are for research purposes only. And they travel only on specially designated roads.
The vehicles are part of UB’s ever-evolving transportation research programs.
Yes, the campus is quiet during the summer. But research activities abound. Case in point: Last month, UB researchers performed a series of autonomous vehicle tests on the North Campus. Photos: Douglas Levere.
Published August 5, 2021