Three autonomous driving technologies are among 10 projects to receive approximately $700,000 in investments from the University of Michigan MTRAC Innovation Hub program.
The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization statewide Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation is backing the products that have potential to reach the transportation market, the program announced Monday.
The MTRAC program is a partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation initiative.
More than half of the projects receiving funding come from UM, while MSU, Wayne State University, Western Michigan University and Michigan Technological University have one apiece.Other winning technologies include a vehicle noise control product, a high-speed 3-D printer system and a process for weldability analysis. They were selected out of 26 proposals from six universities for “the capability to identify opportunities in the transportation space and propose effective solutions, in tandem with researcher team strength and commercialization plans,” the release said.
The following projects received funding, according to the release:
- Advanced wireless technology system for long coverage range and high data rate connectivity for autonomous vehicle data flow, UM, $100,000
- All-weather LIDARs system for autonomous vehicles that improves object recognition in inclement weather, UM, $86,957
- Coaxial carbon nanotube thin-film thermophone to actively control noise in vehicles at low system size and weight, MTU, $93,112
- Antimicrobial coatings for high touch interior surfaces in vehicles, UM, $100,000
- High-resolution RADAR imaging for autonomous vehicles that is less costly than existing LIDAR systems, MSU, $93,478
- Self-powered Internet of Things for smart manufacturing and transportation, UM, $99,850
- High-speed 3-D printer software that considers vibration to improve printer accuracy, UM, $35,000
- Multicolor irradiation system for ultra rapid additive manufacturing, UM, $35,000
- Process using hardness data to estimate high cycle fatigue properties of steel, WMU, $23,478
- Virtual resistance spot welding prediction system to improve weldability analysis, WSU, $34,802
The MTRAC Advanced Transportation program was launched at UM in 2012 before it became a statewide innovation hub for advanced transportation projects in 2017. Since its inception, 34 projects have received funding that led to $47 million in follow-on funding, according to the release.
MTRAC operates other tech innovation programs at MSU, Michigan Tech and Wayne State Each. Each university focuses on a different industry, including agriculture biology, advanced applied materials, life sciences, advanced transportation and biomedical.
MTRAC programs have funded 169 projects and helped establish 32 startups, the release said. Technology has been licensed to 22 companies and more than $132 millionn follow-on funding has been secured.
Source: MTRAC Innovation Hub awards $700,000 for advanced transportation projects | Crain’s Detroit Business
