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U.S. DOT Summit Showcases Innovations in Future Transportation Technologies.

Transportation and Logistics

Future, Transportation, Summit, Robert C. Hampshire

Business Honor
08 January, 2025

Innovative transportation technologies unveiled at U.S. DOT summit to shape the future of mobility.

It was at the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) headquarters in Washington, D.C., that more than 500 experts from academia, government, and industry were brought together to explore groundbreaking advancements in mobility, safety, infrastructure, sustainability, and cybersecurity at the inaugural Future of Transportation Summit. The event was led by Carnegie Mellon University's Safety21 and 39 U.S. DOT University Transportation Centers funded through the FAST Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and took place from August 13-15.

Chaired by Raj Rajkumar, director of Safety21, the event featured technical presentations, research posters, and live demonstrations of innovative transportation technologies. The conference’s goal was to showcase transformative research and foster collaboration to shape the future of transportation.

Robert C. Hampshire, principal deputy assistant secretary for research and technology at the U.S. DOT, underscored the summit as a critical moment to bring together research, technology, and purpose to redefine the transportation sector. Demonstrations were provided for attendees on autonomous vehicles, drones, robots, work zone safety technology, flood monitoring systems, and advanced bridge materials.

One of the showcases was a live demonstration by Raj Rajkumar and his team of autonomous Cadillac CT6 transporting attendees around the U.S. DOT headquarters. Research teams presented innovations such as LocoMan, a dog-like robot intended for safer landslide monitoring and predictive maintenance technology to improve the management of fleets of vehicles.

The UTC program under the U.S. DOT is sustained by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which granted $90 million worth of grants to advance transportation research and technology. Under this program, the United States aims to be at the forefront in the development of autonomous, connected, and sustainable transportation solutions, positioning the country to remain ahead in global transportation innovation.