https://www.iotworldtoday.com/wp-content/themes/ioti_child/assets/images/logo/IoTWorldToday-mobile-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
    • Back
    • Roundups
  • Strategy
  • Special Reports
  • Business Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Industry Perspectives
    • Featured Vendors
  • Other Content
    • Back
    • Q&As
    • Case Studies
    • Features
    • How-to
    • Opinion
    • Podcasts
    • Strategic Partners
    • Latest videos
  • More
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Submissions
  • Events
    • Back
    • IoT World Expo Austin
Iot World Today
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
    • Back
    • Roundups
  • Strategy
  • Special Reports
  • Business Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Industry Perspectives
    • Featured Vendors
  • Other Content
    • Back
    • Q&As
    • Case Studies
    • Features
    • How-to
    • Opinion
    • Podcasts
    • Strategic Partners
    • Latest videos
  • More
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Submissions
  • Events
    • Back
    • IoT World Expo Austin
  • newsletter
  • IIoT
  • Cities
  • Energy
  • Homes/Buildings
  • Transportation/Logistics
  • Connected Health Care
  • Retail
  • AI
  • Metaverse
  • Development
  • Security
ioti.com

Smart Environments


Getty Images

Image shows the University of Connecticut

Autonomous Vehicle Test Center Planned for UConn

Center would allow automakers, software companies and municipalities to test smart car and infrastructure technology alongside researchers
  • Written by Graham Hope
  • 13th July 2022

Plans are being discussed to create a major new autonomous vehicle and smart city testing and research facility at the University of Connecticut.

A potential 105-acre site at UConn’s Mansfield campus has already been identified for the proposed Connected and Autonomous Vehicle test track and research center.

The development, provisionally named Spectrum Park, would be among the most significant in the United States should it come to fruition.

The plans are being led by Eric Jackson, executive director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute, and Steve Cortese, head of Promesa Capital LLC.

In June, the UConn Board of Trustees set the wheels in motion by approving an option for Promesa to purchase 105 acres of UConn’s Depot Campus for $5 million.

Promesa now has nine months to review the site and seek approvals before purchasing the land, although this period could be extended to two years if necessary.

Ultimately, the project cost could stretch to nearly $40 million, with Jackson claiming the scale of the development would be unprecedented. “It’ll be the first in the Northeast of this magnitude,” he said.

The need for dedicated test and research facilities for automated transport is growing, with 2022 seeing significant progress in the roll out of self-driving vehicles in the United States. 

Driverless robotaxis are already in commercial operation in San Francisco, while Mercedes is targeting regulatory approval for its hands-off Drive Pilot tech – rated Level 3 by the Society of Automotive engineers – in both California and Nevada by the end of the year.

However, those behind the Connecticut plans claim the project would be more focused on facilitating a safe infrastructure for this ongoing rollout than on driverless vehicles themselves.

“[Self-driving cars are] not necessarily the full goal of the center itself,” Jackson said. “The way that we’re looking at this is … what can we do as interim steps to get to that point and what can we do to improve transportation safety and prevent people from being killed in car crashes?”

To that end, it’s envisioned the Spectrum Park center would be a site where automakers, software companies and even municipalities could test smart car and infrastructure technology alongside UConn researchers. The facility would likely include crash-test sites, simulated urban, rural and highway driving environments, intersections, roundabouts, parking lots, ramps and more.

“What we’re hoping to be able to build is a facility that anybody that’s developing this technology can bring their car here,” Jackson said. “The goal would be to provide this rich environment for faculty, staff and students, both graduates and undergraduates.”

Tags: Connected cars autonomous vehicles self-driving cars autonomous vehicle test center UConn Promesa Supply Chain, Transportation & Logistics Smart Environments News

Related Content


  • Sustainability a Key Focus at LoRaWan World Expo 2022
    Highlights from the Paris event
  • Image shows Guardian Agriculture’s autonomous crop duster
    Autonomous Crop Dusters Set to Fly Next Year
    The four-prop aircraft can spray 40 acres in an hour
  • Image shows a road within the Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners
    Brandon Branham, Peachtree Corners, on Smart Cities
    Peachtree Corners CTO and assistant city manager chats with IoT World Today's Chuck Martin about what's happening at Curiosity Labs
  • Image shows a Vodafone storefront in Munich Germany
    Vodafone Hints at IoT Spinoff
    The company’s 2022 annual report suggests change is afoot

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your IoT World Today account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest News

  • Self-Driving Shuttle Coming to Minnesota
  • Video Shows Tesla’s Self-Driving Tech Puts Children in Danger
  • Image shows the inside of the JIDU concept robocar ROBO-01 Intelligent Cabin
    Tesla Rival to Make 800,000 Robocars by 2028
  • Phoenix Fire Department Adds Drones to its Arsenal

Roundups

View all

IoT Deals & Partnerships Roundup: Nokia, Accenture and More

29th July 2022

IoT Deals & Partnerships Roundup: Nokia, SoftBank, Microsoft and More

15th July 2022

IoT Product Roundup: Nokia, Energous, Dashbot and More

6th July 2022

White Papers

View all

The Role of Manufacturing Technology in Continuous Improvement Ebook

6th April 2022

IIoT Platform Trends for Manufacturing in 2022

6th April 2022

Events

View all

IoT World Expo Austin

2nd November 2022 - 3rd November 2022

Latest Videos

View all
Image shows a road within the Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners

Brandon Branham, Peachtree Corners, on Smart Cities

Peachtree Corners CTO and assistant city manager chats with IoT World Today’s Chuck Martin about what’s happening at Curiosity Labs

Image shows a Beep electric autonomous shuttle

Joe Moye, Beep, on Self-Driving Shuttles

Beep’s CEO chatted with IoT World Today’s Chuck Martin about the deployment of the company’s electric autonomous shuttles

E-books

View all

How Remote Access Helps Enterprises Improve IT Service and Employee Satisfaction

12th January 2022

An Integrated Approach to IoT Security

6th November 2020

Webinars

View all

Is MQTT becoming the de facto standard of Industry 4.0? The impact of IoT on industrial automation protocols

18th August 2022

Building trust for a connected world

25th August 2022

Is MQTT becoming the de facto standard of Industry 4.0? The impact of IoT on industrial automation protocols

18th August 2022

Special Reports

View all

Security: The Hidden Risks of Connected Devices

11th August 2022

Omdia’s Smart Home Market Dynamics Report

7th January 2022

Cybersecurity Protection Increasingly Depends on Machine Learning

28th October 2020

Twitter

IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

📣 Join us on August 18th to explore how MQTT has been helping system integrators to overcome the challenges of hybr… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

13th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Black Hat 2022: Sophisticated Cybercriminals, Increased Ransoms dlvr.it/SWZS4m https://t.co/fBlVhm5hO1

13th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Black Hat 2022: Adapting to the Growing Cyberthreat Landscape dlvr.it/SWZRKm https://t.co/OFbXxX9UWT

13th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

NASA, GM Team to Robot for Deep Sea, Space Missions dlvr.it/SWZKPD https://t.co/5luhaGI67c

13th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

📣 NEW WEBINAR Join us on August 25th to learn how @IntertrustTech data orchestration technology is enabling busines… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

12th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Robomart, Unilever Deploys On-Demand, Automated Ice Cream Shops in LA dlvr.it/SWWjLW https://t.co/B8LmYfs8BU

12th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Self-Driving Shuttle Coming to Minnesota dlvr.it/SWWRYY https://t.co/1tGJfAnYF1

12th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Have you seen the jam-packed agenda for #IoTWorld and the #AISummit Austin? 🤠 Stay ahead of the curve with cuttin… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

12th August 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for IoT World Today newsletters: vertical industry coverage on Tuesdays and horizontal tech coverage on Thursdays.

Special Reports

Our Special Reports take an in-depth look at key topics within the IoT space. Download our latest reports.

Business Resources

Find the latest white papers and other resources from selected vendors.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IoT World Series
  • Channel Futures
  • RISC-V
  • Dark Reading
  • ITPro Today
  • Web Hosting Talk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Login/Register

FOLLOW IoT World Today ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X