Hamidreza Modares is working to make future roadways safer through the design of safe control protocols for connected and automated vehicles.
Modares is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University.
"Autonomous systems can bring unprecedented benefits to mobility and transportation, and yet without guaranteeing their safety and intended functionality, a major barrier to widespread implementation exists," Modares said.
His research combines tools from machine learning, computer science and control theory to design trustworthy and safe autonomous vehicles.
"Next-generation highways cars will be a mixture of autonomous cars and human-driven cars. Designing control protocols - that learn the intention of human-driven cars and communicate with other autonomous cars to make safe decisions - is very challenging," he said.
Modares's research focuses on solving these issues. His work with reinforcement-learning based autonomous control systems expand the range of unforeseen tasks that can be performed in a safe fashion. That increases the overall safety of autonomous vehicle operation.
This safe control design has applications in other technologies, including unmanned vehicles, surveillance and monitoring, self-driving cars, and robotics, he notes.
"MSU's diverse faculty, from electrical engineering to mechanical engineering, computer science and civil engineering, can help resolve the challenges of mobility together," he added.
Story by Kara Headley, courtesy of MSU Innovation Center Business Connect.