For the third year in a row, research being done by faculty and students in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering (ME) were highlighted by Ford CEO Mark Fields in his keynote address at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Two projects, “Parking Spotter” and “Remote Repositioning” were singled out by Ford as part of their 25 global mobility experiments that can change tomorrow's transportation ecosystem.

Ford filmed several videos on the Georgia Tech campus featuring some of the ME students working on the projects.

Parking Spotter - This experiment leverages driver-assist sensors that most Ford vehicles already have, including sonar and radar, by putting them to work for everybody. The sensors search for open parking spaces while the driver looks for spots around the city, and share the information with a cloud database other drivers can access. The system makes it easier for a driver to locate an open spot, reserve it and navigate to the space. It also reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

The Parking Spotter video, which was shot on the Tech campus, was part of a CNET interview with Fields.

Remote Repositioning – being done in conjunction with electrical and computer engineering faculty member, Ghassan AlRegib, is testing remote control repositioning technology using vehicle-mounted cameras and real-time streaming video. Using Georgia Tech-owned golf carts to prove out the technology, a person sitting in a remote location can access real-time video streamed over LTE to drive the carts. The outcome could be a more affordable and effective way to share or park vehicles using a remote “valet.”   

Other notable press releases:

• PC Magazine
• Renewable Atlanta
• Car and Driver