October 27, 2021

AFL-CIO Technology Institute Director Amanda Ballantyne is the newest member of the Mobility21 University Transportation Center (UTC) Advisory Council.   The Advisory Council is comprised of national leaders that provide strategic guidance and counsel for the UTC.

October 15, 2021

Mobility21 UTC researchers Dr. Rahul Mangharam and Dr. Johannes Betz of the University of Pennsylvania participated in Embedded Systems Week (ESWeek) 2021.  ESWEEK is piloting a new education track, where in, top researchers in the world teach 2-hour topical class on emerging/newer, but well established embedded systems concepts, tools and methods that are not readily available in textbooks in an exciting, engaging and hands-on way to students across the globe.  View their presentation here.

October 1, 2021

Traffic21 Director Chris Hendrickson has been re-appointed to the Transportation Research Board‘s Executive Committee for 2022-2025.  The Executive Committee is the senior policy body of TRB.

October 1, 2021

Traffic21 researchers released their latest policy brief, “Driver Warning Technologies and Partial Vehicle Automation: Save Lives and Money,” authored by Stan Caldwell, Chris Hendrickson, Corey Harper and Costa Samaras.   The brief reviews empirical data on changes in crash frequency and severity with driver warning technologies and partial automation; provides estimates of benefits, costs and lives saved; and concludes with policy recommendations.

October 1, 2021

Mobility21 UTC researcher and assistant professor of Mechatronics at CCAC Dr. Justin Starr has been named Engineering Unleashed Fellow.  The designation recognizes leadership in undergraduate engineering education. Each fellowship is accompanied by recognition, advanced project work, funding and community with other Fellows. Read the full story here.

September 27, 2021

Mobility21 Innovation Fellow and Robotics Institute alum Joe Bartels is the CEO of a CMU spinout called Phlux Technologies. Phlux is enabling advanced capabilities in robotics and automation with a new class of programmable 3D sensors that were developed in CMU’s Imaging and Illumination Lab.

As a Mobility21 Innovation Fellow, Joe focused on early commercialization activities including prototype development and customer discovery research in robotics, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and industrial automation. During this process, Joe worked with Tepper MBA students supported by Mobility21 to tune Phlux’s early business model, value proposition, and customer profile.

Joe is currently leading Phlux through an evaluation program of their sensors with a global automotive company and is lining up other pilots in robotics and industrial automation.

September 23, 2021

Traffic21 Executive Director Stan Caldwell was featured on the recent SAE International podcast with host Grayson Brulte, Innovation Strategist and Co-Founder of Brulte & Company, to discuss how Traffic21 has helped place Pittsburgh at the forefront of the intelligent transportation field, improving the economy and attracting new businesses along the way.  Listen to the full podcast here.

September 22, 2021

Metro21 Executive Director Karen Lightman moderated the first of three Justice & Technology Seminars which featured Lilian Coral of Knight Foundation, Kim Davis of City of Pittsburgh DOMI, Rayid Ghani of Carnegie Mellon University, and Marimba Milliones of Hill District CDC.

This seminar series will provide an opportunity for researchers and community stakeholders to openly discuss issues with technology and justice and find opportunities to collaborate on advancing justice. The series is sponsored by the Metro21: Smart Cities Institute in cooperation with Traffic21 Institute.  Watch the inaugural seminar here.