INSIGHT | Summer 2020

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us amid the global coronavirus pandemic. New schedules, new routines. That's why this Summer 2020 edition of Mcity Insight is coming to you in October. We'll be back on schedule with the Fall issue in late November. Until then, good health and best wishes to you and your family.

Remember when going back to school meant sharing stories about what you did on your summer vacation? With the University of Michigan’s Fall semester underway -- on campus and virtually -- Mcity’s Class of 2020 summer interns have tales to tell about a summer none of us will soon forget.

READ MORE »

Studying the commercial viability of self-driving vehicles provides a rich opportunity for young engineers and entrepreneurs to find a venture that challenges their technical, creative and business skills.

The 2020 cohort of TechLab at Mcity students found their mission in changing the way we think about logistics through a fleet of self-driving delivery vehicles meant to fulfill real-world needs of students and others without vehicles of their own. The team worked with Refraction AI, a U-M spinoff that builds and deploys robotic delivery platforms.

The University of Mchigan, including Mcity, is joining with the state of Michigan, Ford Motor Co., and Cavnue, a new company, plus other partners to create a first-of-its kind connected and automated vehicle corridor.

The Michigan Connected Corridor will link Ann Arbor and Detroit, helping to address long-standing issues of access and equity in transportation, while offering the promise of economic development and new jobs.

The project was announced Aug. 13, by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan; Jonathan Winer, co-CEO of Cavnue parent Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners; Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford; members of Michigan's Congressional delegation and community leaders from along the proposed corridor.

We're always adding to the capabilities of the Mcity Test Facility. The latest project is transforming a shipping container into a faux house.

Why? Because CAVs will need to be able to safely navigate package deliveries and curbside pickups, not to mention driveways and mailboxes. And drones. Check out a photo gallery of construction in progress.

Mcity at the University of Michigan is leading the transition to connected and automated vehicles. Home to world-renowned researchers, a one-of-a-kind test facility, and on-road deployments, Mcity brings together industry, government, and academia to improve transportation safety, sustainability, and accessibility for the benefit of society.