Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Dr. Tony Qiu is a Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta. He is the founder of the Centre for Smart Transportation, the scientific director for the Autonomous Systems Initiative, and the director of ACTIVE-AURORA–Canada’s first connected vehicle testbed network. For the proposed Canadian Research Chair, the ACTIVE-AURORA testbed will be the platform used to conduct fundamental and applied research within a connected vehicle environment. Connected vehicles are vehicles capable of connecting wirelessly through Dedicated Short Range Communications or cellular networks to nearby devices. They play an important role in the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) and include many use cases ranging from connected entertainment systems to internet-connected vehicles that have bi-directional and network communication with other vehicles, mobile devices, and city intersections. The overall goal of the proposed research is to advance the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems, and to provide a better fundamental understanding of connected vehicle technologies. Part of Dr. Qiu’s goal is ensuring that agencies are aware of different factors when integrating these technologies with existing transportation systems, so that the benefits of connected vehicle technologies can be effectively maximized. A second goal is to develop and evaluate innovative applications of connected vehicle technology to address transportation-related problems faced by agencies and drivers. A third goal is to train highly qualified academic and industry personnel by involving them in the proposed research, as well as in the development and application of the techniques and tools to be used. The vision of the proposed Canada Research Chair program is to have vehicles and infrastructure in the transportation system operate in a fully integrated and highly automated environment that can help improve traffic mobility and safety in an optimized and reliable manner. In pursuit of this vision, Dr. Qiu has developed a lab simulation environment and three field test corridors that are fully operational on public roads in Edmonton. Over the next five years, the focus of the research program will be on realizing the long-term vision for data-driven traffic modelling and control, an area in which traffic management agencies need a more thorough understanding of the impact from evolving information and communication technology on both vehicles and infrastructure.