News and Events

The City of Greensboro Senior Leadership team visited the NCA&T's rural AV test facility on March 20, 2024 at N.C. A&T Gateway Research Park's north campus. Joined by  different department heads and representatives from the city manager’s office, the team discussed the past and ongoing collaboration between the City of Greensboro and transportation researchers at NCA&T and CR2C2 Center. 

Dr. Karimoddini welcomed the guests with a presentation highlighting N.C. A&T's research innovations and technology transfer activities, particularly the successful pilot program Aggie Auto launched in October 2023, which demonstrated the role that university researchers can play in contributing to the smart city vision of the City of  Greensboro. He emphasized the collaborative efforts with various stakeholders, including the City of Greensboro, Downtown Greensboro, community leaders, local business owners, the Miriam P. Brenner Children’s Museum, and the Greensboro Police and Fire Departments. Furthermore, he discussed the recent activities of the First Responders Workshop organized by CR2C2, focusing on reviewing the Incident Response Plan to ensure the city's readiness for integrating electric and autonomous vehicles into its transportation system seamlessly. 

To close out the meeting, attendees were offered the opportunity to experience firsthand the potential of autonomous vehicles and were able to ride the autonomous shuttles at Gateway, where a unique feature distinguishes N.C. A&T from other universities nationwide: a 2-mile test track that mimics rural driving conditions. This track allows researchers to test vehicles in real-world scenarios, with the route taking approximately 7 minutes to complete.