Economic development organization Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) has given North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University $50,000 to prototype and deploy two self-driving shuttles.

The funds will go to the recently established North Carolina Transportation Center of Excellence in Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Technology (NC-CAV) at N.C. A&T’s College of Engineering (COE).

“Our college’s partnerships with private industry and government are critical to our ability to engineer effective solutions to the complex challenges facing Greensboro, the nation and the world,” says COE dean Robin N. Coger, Ph.D.

“This transportation-focused collaboration with DGI is exciting, and we are looking forward to the impact of the results that will be produced as we continue to work together.” 

According to North Carolina A&T State University, the investment from DGI will lead to “more agile, flexible and affordable transportation” in the downtown Greensboro area, while also enhancing the connection between the campus and city. The investment is also expected to provide opportunities to promote economic stimulus for future growth.

A&T notes that the partnership is aligned with “A&T Preeminence: Taking the Momentum to 2023,” which is the university’s strategic plan for national and regional community engagement. The partnership also aligns with DGI’s 2030 Vision Plan to begin utilizing autonomous vehicles in downtown Greensboro.

The opening of the university’s pop-up shop and the establishment of the NC-CAV in fall 2019 led to the partnership between A&T and DGI. 

“This collaboration makes it possible to have Greensboro as one of the pioneer cities in the nation that is practicing deployment of autonomous vehicles as part of the roadmap to become a smart city with a smart transportation system,” says Ali Karimoddini, Ph.D., NC-CAV director and COE associate professor.