From field tests to multistate deployment
Our leader-follower research helped bring driverless work zone trucks from Missouri field tests to state DOT fleets. A USDOT SMART grant now supports deployment with five state DOTs.
Smarter mobility, tested on real roads.
We build AI for perception, cooperative driving, electrification, and system modeling, and we validate it with a full-size autonomous vehicle, a USDOT-designated proving ground, and state DOT deployments.
$22.6Min research funding across 43 projects, 35 of them external
92journal articles, including 17 in Transportation Research Parts A–E and 11 in IEEE Transactions
1 of 10USDOT-designated Automated Vehicle Proving Grounds is our test track, home to our full-size AV
17state DOTs in the Autonomous Maintenance Technology pooled fund we support
Figures as of Sep 2026
What we work on
Four research thrusts, with AI built into each.
Automated & Cooperative DrivingPerception, prediction, and control on a full-size vehicleWork Zone Automation (ATMA)Driverless follow trucks that protect highway crewsTransportation ElectrificationCharging demand, infrastructure investment, and zero-emission fleetsTransportation System ModelingQueues, capacity, networks, and connected vehicle data
What our vehicle sees
Algorithms move from co-simulation to a full-size autonomous vehicle and then to a USDOT-designated proving ground.
- Full-size autonomous vehicle. A retrofitted 7-seat Chrysler Pacifica with drive-by-wire control and a full sensor suite.
- LTI test track. A full-scale test track designated by USDOT as one of 10 Automated Vehicle Proving Grounds.
- Driving simulator and co-simulation platform. A driving simulator linked to a CARLA–SUMO–Autoware co-simulation suite for cooperative driving research.
Highlights
Streetlights as EV chargers
Our Kansas City study of curbside charging from existing streetlights was covered by Penn State News, Tech Briefs, Yahoo, MSN, and outlets in China and India in October 2025.
President Bendapudi rides with our students
Penn State's president and executive team took a self-driving ride on the LTI test track, with Ph.D. students Yuxin Ding and Chenxi Chen on board.
Latest news
All news- Sep 2026
Lab paper on safety-critical scenario generation presented at ECCV 2026
- Jul 2026
Town & Gown features "Happy Valley's Driverless Future"
- 2026
IEEE ITS Magazine profiles the Smart Mobility Lab
Where our people go
Our Ph.D. graduates and postdocs lead their own research groups and build industry products.
- Qing TangPh.D. 2023Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Old Dominion University
- Yang (Chris) SongPh.D. 2023Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, SUNY Alfred State College
- Debojyoti (Bishal) BiswasPostdoctoral scholar 2026Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Youngstown State University
- Chenxi ChenPh.D. 2024Software Development Engineer (spatial intelligence), Nexus IQ Technology
Sponsors and partners
Projects- Autonomous Maintenance Technology Pooled Fund
- Colorado Department of Transportation
- Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Department of Education
- Federal Highway Administration
- Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
- City of Kansas City, Missouri
- Kratos Defense
- Larson Transportation Institute
- Metropolitan Energy Center
- Missouri Department of Transportation
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
- Royal Truck
- U.S. Department of Transportation
Join the lab
We are recruiting PhD students and postdocs with strong interest and experience in AI and autonomous vehicles. Positions are fully funded, with a monthly stipend and tuition waiver.