Behl wins award for safer vehicles

MADHUR BEHL, researcher at the University of Virginia, has won a National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award for making self-driving vehicles smarter and safer.

Working at the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Behl is one of 12 UVA assistant professors to win the NSF awards in 2021 so far, according to a university press release.

Using auto racing as a platform, Behl has invented artificial intelligence methods to agilely maneuver an autonomous vehicle while pushing the limits of its steering, throttle and braking capabilities.

His novel racing research is creating advanced algorithms that hold the key to safer autonomous vehicles, enabling them to avoid collisions even when they encounter unexpected challenges at high speeds while close to obstacles or other vehicles.

Demonstrating their skills in programming a full-sized, fully autonomous race car, Behl and his student Cavalier Autonomous Racing team clocked the fastest laps from a US university team in the historic Indy Autonomous Challenge, held Oct. 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.