How Campus Plan 2050 Is Reimagining the Future of Transportation and Accelerating U-M’s Leadership Toward a More Sustainable, Effective and Equitable Mobility Future
The University of Michigan is driving the vanguard of mobility research, poised to revolutionize the way people and goods move.
Under the visionary Campus Plan 2050, U-M is ensuring a sustainable and equitable future that will impact not only the local economy and community, but also set a benchmark globally.
“Our Campus Plan 2050 is a forward-focused blueprint in support of our Vision 2034 Plan,” said Bogdan Epureanu, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Roger L. McCarthy Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Director, Automotive Research Center. “We’re turning our Ann Arbor campuses into a living lab that facilitates real-time data collection and state-of-the-art testing for new technologies. This includes support for transformative education and connectivity, fostering collaboration and innovation, and supporting education, sustainability and human interactions.”
Mobility at Michigan: A Blueprint for the Future
U-M’s leadership in mobility research is envisioned to cover a broad spectrum from autonomous vehicles to advanced electric transportation systems, focusing on four main areas:
- Equitable: Lack of reliable transportation hampers access to jobs, healthcare, school, food and more, contributing to today’s unprecedented income disparities. U-M is developing solutions that are affordable, available and accessible to everyone — including the elderly and those with disabilities.
- Security: Mobility technologies and systems underpin U.S. prosperity at home and defense abroad. Amid today’s geopolitical instability, the nation must maintain leadership. U-M is advancing autonomy, human-autonomy teaming, modeling and simulation, and onshoring of key supply chains.
- Safe: Injuries and deaths on U.S. roads remain high. To reduce them, U-M is working on vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity and autonomy, plus vehicle and infrastructure design that considers pedestrians and cyclists in addition to vehicle occupants.
- Sustainable: Transportation contributes 27 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions — it’s a critical sector to decarbonize. U-M’s multi-pronged approach includes EVs, low-carbon fuels, recyclability and connectivity, and is exploring social aspects of technology adoption and transportation systems.
“Mobility impacts our economy and national security,” Epureanu said. “It’s imperative that our mobility systems are equitable, secure, safe and sustainable. To do so, we will need to deepen our partnerships with state and federal agencies and industries. These partnerships are important in mobility now because the pace of technological advancements is very fast and occurring in multiple dimensions, such as electrification, autonomous driving and charging stations. Mobility research impacts mining, agriculture, forestry, road infrastructure, social impact and equity, and disaster relief efforts, which requires a holistic and multidisciplinary response.”
Infrastructure Development: Nurturing Innovation
In response to emerging technological innovations and industry needs, substantial infrastructural developments are slated for U-M’s North Campus, including upgrades for autonomous and electric vehicles, as well as a state-of-the-art Electric Center for campus life and research. These advancements will offer a realistic testing and development environment, complete with an automated and updated bus system.
“Our infrastructure serves a dual purpose both as a testbed for innovative research and as an enhancement for daily campus activities,” Epureanu said.
Key Milestones in Autonomous Vehicles
Over the next decade, U-M aims to achieve significant milestones in autonomous vehicle research, specifically in unstructured environments and disaster relief operations.
“We’re focused on scaling the deployment of autonomous vehicles,” Epureanu said. “We’re spearheading solutions for autonomous vehicles in unstructured environments and in disaster relief operations.”
U-M plans to leverage digital engineering to fully integrate research and development, fostering an engineering ecosystem that supports large-scale pilot programs.
Pioneering Electric Vehicle Research
Aligned with neutrality goals by 2040, the Campus Plan 2050 will bolster research and innovation in electric vehicle (EV) technology.
“U-M is well-positioned to address multiple issues in EV technology,” Epureanu said. “By training the next generation of engineers and through collaboration with state and federal agencies, we’re leading the charge in EV advancements and overall mobility systems.”
Human-Machine Integrated Formations: The Next Frontier
The concept of human-machine integrated formations, especially in military contexts, aims to keep soldiers out of harm’s way through autonomous systems functioning as teammates.
“We need robots and humans to trust each other,” Epureanu said. “This concept involves predicting human intent and integrating robotics into human interactions, which will be pivotal for future mobility studies.”
Insights from Nobel Laureates and Fields Medalists
U-M is bringing together transportation and mobility expertise across campus and beyond to chart a path for continued U.S. leadership and build a future that’s safe, equitable, sustainable and secure. Recent visits from Nobel Laureates and Fields Medalists catalyzed discussions that highlighted the human factor in robotics. These high-profile visits reinforced U-M’s vision of integrating multidisciplinary research.
“We’re not alone in understanding the importance of human cognitive workload and emotional states,” Epureanu said. “Technologies should measure brain activity to allow machines to interact more intelligently with humans.”
Long-term Impact on Research and Student Experience
The Campus Plan 2050’s long-term impacts entail turning the campus into a living lab, providing students with hands-on opportunities to address societal needs.
“The more clearly students see the impact of their work, the more enthusiastic they become,” Epureanu said. “These living labs will not only benefit research capabilities, but will also prepare students to make a global impact.”
An Electric Future
U-M’s Campus Plan 2050 is more than just a strategic document — it is a visionary roadmap that holds the promise of transforming mobility research and setting new global standards for innovation, sustainability, and equity.
What excites Epureanu most about the future of mobility research at U-M is the multidisciplinary approach to solving mobility challenges.
“The most exciting aspect to transform mobility research for multidisciplinary work is to enable us to address and solve the mobility challenges in the future,” he said. “As U-M continues to adapt to global challenges, the university is set to play a pivotal role in redefining mobility through a balanced, multidisciplinary, and convergent approach.”
