Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2)

It was an honor to host U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Gov. Roy Cooper, and NC Board of Transportation Chairman Michael S. Fox in our unique rural transportation facility. During this visit, we showcased CR2C2's research on developing advanced technological solutions to serve rural and underserved communities including: - Our rural test track for testing and developing autonomous vehicles. https://lnkd.in/eNG8892i - Autonomous shuttles, with autonomy, sensing, and perception all developed/integrated at NCA&T. https://www.aggieauto.com/ - A prototype eVTOL for package delivery. https://lnkd.in/e5sdyrPp - UAV-assisted bridge inspection.https://https://lnkd.in/esT6hpBf CR2C2 researchers also discussed several major research initiatives within the center, including: - Assessment of Physical and Digital Infrastructure and Required Adjustments for the Safe Operations of CAVs in Rural Terrains. - Transportation Accessibility Barriers for Rural Communities. - Technological Infrastructure to Enhance Healthcare Access in Rural Areas of the Southeastern United States. Thanks to USDOT and NCDOT for their support in empowering CR2C2 students, researchers, and faculty to explore novel solutions to transform the rural transportation system. Read more here https://lnkd.in/em25sSr9 ? ? #USDOT #NCDOT #CR2C2 #AggieAutonomousShuttles #AutonomousTech #Innovation #NCAT #Transportation

Our students had a fantastic opportunity to visit Rockingham County as part of our data competition, focusing on growth that balances transportation and equity in rural areas. Engaging with key county officials offered invaluable insights to guide the development of practical, community-driven solutions. A huge thank you to AGING DISABILITY & TRANSIT SERVICES OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, including Senior Director of Transit Services Meggan Odell and Transportation Operations Manager Wayne Lee, for helping organize this trip. We would also like to thank county officials County Manager Lance Metzler, Director of Engineering Ronald Tate, and Director of Urban Planning and Economics Leigh Cockram for sharing their expertise! In this hypothetical competition, teams are addressing accessibility barriers in Rockingham County through data-driven solutions. They will develop plans for adding 4,000 new households (9,000 more residents) in Reidsville and Wentworth, NC, while improving access to transportation infrastructure, grocery stores, emergency facilities, and affordable housing. Their plans will also consider current access levels and improvement strategies. We can’t wait to see what our teams will achieve?in their final design!??? #DataCompetition #RuralDevelopment #TransportationSolutions #CommunityImpact #CR2C2 #NCAT #RockinghamCounty #TransportationInnovation

Congratulations the Alabama Transportation Institute, Dr. Jun Liu and Dr. Steven Jones, as well as other partners in this award on "Upskilling Automotive Workers for Future Electric Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Through Immersive Experiential Learning."

The Center for Transportation Research UT Knoxville appreciates the opportunity to partner with the Airport Ground Transportation Association and Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee to continue the collaborative work through this partnership. #Transportation #Airport #supplychain

Exciting updates from the Demonstration and Deployment Forum (DDF), where our initiative brings together Center researchers and transportation practitioners to bridge the gap between research and real-world application. In our latest session, Drs. Ali Karimoddini and Maranda McBride, alongside community partners Sarah Searcy (NCDOT), Chris Spencer (Greensboro DOT), Zack Matheny (Downtown Greensboro Inc.), and Capt. John Legrand (University Police Department), shared valuable lessons learned from piloting the Aggie Auto Shuttles in downtown Greensboro last year. Their perspectives on piloting Aggie Auto Shuttles are paving the way for transportation innovation.? Together, we're turning research into practice! ???? Watch the video to catch the forum: https://lnkd.in/eDwmCDgE Also if you missed the previous events, please check the DDF events at: https://shorturl.at/42Uuw ? #TransportationInnovation #CR2C2 #DDF #CommunityEngagement #CR2C2? #TransportSolutions #RuralDevelopment #FutureOfTransport #CommunityDriven

While keeping the people of the Southeast, particularly those in rural communities, in our thoughts during Hurricane Helene, let’s also consider the role of advanced transportation technologies in enhancing transportation infrastructure resilience and supporting post-disaster recovery. Toward this goal, our CR2C2 researchers are focused on developing weather-resilient autonomous vehicles (AVs). Want to see them in action? Our AVs delivered a smooth ride on our rural test track and transportation facility, even in gusty showers during the AMIE Annual Conference. Read more about the AMIE visit to NCA&T and CR2C2 at https://lnkd.in/ePmWtweg #CR2C2 #TransportationInnovation #RuralTransportation #AMIE2024 #WeatherResilient #TransportSolutions #RuralDeployment #AVTechnology #RuralTestTrack #FutureOfTransport #CommunityDriven

On October 10th,?Dr. Yichang James Tsai from the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering will give a seminar on Safe Road Solutions Using Low-cost Smart Phones and Artificial Intelligence. Whether you're passionate about smart transportation technologies, AI, or transportation safety, this talk will provide valuable insights into the future of innovative, low-cost technologies that can make our roads safer. ?? Zoom Link: https://lnkd.in/gC2B8wpU? ?? More details: https://lnkd.in/gXipEKpU Let’s drive the conversation around road safety and innovation forward!??????? #RoadSafety #ArtificialIntelligence #TransportationInnovation #CR2C2 #TransortationResearch #Innovation #RuralTransportation

On October 10th,?Dr. Yichang James Tsai from the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering will give a seminar on Safe Road Solutions Using Low-cost Smart Phones and Artificial Intelligence. Whether you're passionate about smart transportation technologies, AI, or transportation safety, this talk will provide valuable insights into the future of innovative, low-cost technologies that can make our roads safer. ?? Zoom Link: https://lnkd.in/gC2B8wpU? ?? More details: https://lnkd.in/gXipEKpU Let’s drive the conversation around road safety and innovation forward!??????? #RoadSafety #ArtificialIntelligence #TransportationInnovation #CR2C2 #TransortationResearch #Innovation #RuralTransportation

I want to thank my supervisor, Dr. Evangelos I. Kaisar, for giving me the chance to participate in TRANSPO 2024 in Orlando, Florida, from August 25-28. Your support and guidance have been so valuable to me. I also want to thank Dr. Venktesh Pandey and Komal Gulati for their help with these projects. Your support made a big difference. At the conference, we presented two posters: "Intelligent Routing System for Safe and Efficient Freight Transportation in Rural Areas using Autonomous Truck Platooning" "Deploying Smart Parking Systems in Rural Areas: Integrating GIS and Real-Time Data Analytics to Mitigate Illegal Truck Parking" It was a great experience to share our work and learn from others in the transportation field. Looking forward to more opportunities like this! ???? #TRANSPO2024 #TransportationResearch #SmartParking #AutonomousTrucks

We were thrilled to be part of Advancing Minorities' Interest in Engineering (AMIE)'s incredible 2024 Annual Conference, themed "Engineering Tomorrow: Harnessing Future Trends for Innovation", hosted with N.C. A&T College of Engineering. The event brought together the brightest minds from HBCU engineering programs, students, professionals, and industry leaders to explore the future of engineering through innovation, disruption, and transformation. The Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2) was honored to provide AMIE attendees with an engaging, hands-on experience at our transportation facility. Guests had the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge transportation technologies and experience autonomous vehicles in action on the road. In addition to the demonstration, Drs. Maranda McBride and Ali Karimoddini delivered an insightful talk on the technological and human factor considerations for the Design and Deployment of Shared Autonomous Vehicles, sparking meaningful discussions about the future of mobility. #AMIE2024 #COE #Innovation #AutonomousVehicles #Engineering #CR2C2 #Technology #NCAT #AggieAutonomousShuttles #HBCU #Transportation