University of Georgia · Mobility Lab
Connecting autonomous vehicles, intelligent infrastructure,
and the people who depend on them.
Led by Handong Yao, UGA is partnering with UW–Madison on the TRAVELS Center, supported by a $15 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant. UGA will receive approximately $3.6 million to advance autonomous transportation in rural Georgia.
Media coverage · Oct 27, 2026
NHTSA Deputy Administrator Lee White visited UGA's Future Mobility Living Lab for a research briefing and autonomous vehicle demonstration highlighting a USDOT-funded rural mobility project.
Our research
Mobility is more than a vehicle. It is a connected system.
Six research threads follow it end to end, combining deep learning, hardware acceleration, V2X communication, 3D scene modeling, field experiments, and HD mapping.
End-to-end planning · Camera-corruption benchmarks · Trajectory verification · Closed-loop testing
Sparse planning queries · FPGA acceleration · Latency certification · Approximate memory
Token compression · LMM-based encoding · Cloud–edge collaboration
3D Gaussian splatting · Predictive exploration · Scene-coordinate localization
Field experiments · Car-following models · Interaction datasets · Edge computing · Network simulation
LiDAR HD mapping · Readiness assessment · Community engagement · Evidence synthesis
Open research
Map & interactive demo
Inspect the rural route in 3D and see where road geometry, markings, and roadside conditions challenge automated driving.
Field experiment dataset
Compare one-pedal and two-pedal driving under manual control and adaptive cruise control, and examine how speed disturbances travel through a platoon.
Interactive evidence hub
Explore research findings, field pilots, and deployment implications through a searchable evidence map and linked stakeholder recommendations.
Beyond the algorithm
Our instrumented vehicles support rural-road data collection and EV car-following experiments. Field observations connect infrastructure conditions with vehicle behavior.
Explore the Georgia case study
Inside Mobility Lab
Field visits, instrumented vehicles, and student collaboration.
A closer look at the work behind our research.
In the field · July 2026
During a TRAVELS visit to Pulaski County, Georgia, the UGA team discussed demonstration routes and collected data for HD-map development.
Explore the fieldwork & maps Photo: TRAVELS Center
Student collaboration · 2026
The Mobility Lab-supported capstone team received the Manufactured System or Process Design Award for its autonomous vehicle infrastructure evaluation tool.
Meet the award-winning project Photo: UGA College of Engineering
UGA research vehicles and instrumentation
for EV car-following experiments.
Take the wheel
Drive through towns, farmland, a river bridge, downtown, and pine forest. Stop for red lights and people crossing, pass cyclists and slow farm traffic, and watch for faster cars behind as rain, fog, and nightfall shrink what the sensors can see. Switch on autopilot to let it drive, and take the wheel when it needs you.
