The Mi3 Lab is proud to participate in the SAE / GM CivicProgress Challenge, an initiative organized by SAE International and General Motors that engages university teams in developing connected and autonomous vehicle technologies with clear civic benefit. Our lab's project focuses on accessible mobility—bringing intelligent transportation systems to populations that are too often left out of the autonomy conversation, including riders with mobility, sensory, or communication differences.

The effort is a collaboration across multiple UC Merced groups—the Mi3 Lab, the Inclusive Interaction Lab, the Castro Lab, the CAR TECH Lab, and the UC Merced Capstone Program—spanning a research team that includes lab researchers, two senior capstone design teams, and student research interns, with contributions across perception, planning, human–machine interaction, and system integration.

SAE International General Motors UC Merced Mi³ Lab Inclusive Interaction Lab
The UC Merced CivicProgress Challenge team standing beside the accessible autonomous vehicle
The UC Merced CivicProgress team at our vehicle delivery, September 2026.

Faculty

Ross Greer

Ross Greer, Ph.D.

Faculty Advisor

Assistant Professor
Computer Science and Engineering

Ricardo de Castro

Ricardo de Castro, Ph.D.

Co-Faculty Advisor

Assistant Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Ahmed Sabbir Arif

Ahmed Sabbir Arif, Ph.D.

Co-Faculty Advisor

Associate Professor
Computer Science and Engineering

Marcus Lee

Marcus Lee, Ph.D.

Co-Faculty Advisor

Assistant Teaching Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Santosh Chandrasekhar

Santosh Chandrasekhar, Ph.D.

Co-Faculty Advisor

Assistant Teaching Professor
Computer Science and Engineering

Spencer Castro

Spencer Castro, Ph.D.

Co-Faculty Advisor

Assistant Professor
Management of Complex Systems

Research Team

Wesley Maia

Wesley Maia

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Mi3 Lab

Angel Martinez Sanchez

Angel Martinez Sanchez

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Mi3 Lab

Parthib Roy

Parthib Roy

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Mi3 Lab

SS

Shawn Shan

EV

Eliud Vega

Mechanical Engineering

Mi3 Lab

Miranda Cortez

Miranda Cortez

Computer Science & Engineering

Mi3 Lab

Ricardo Ornelas

Ricardo Ornelas

Computer Science & Engineering

Mi3 Lab

Kianna Ng

Kianna Ng

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Mi3 Lab

Erika Maquiling

Erika Maquiling

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Mi3 Lab

Giovanni Tapia Lopez

Giovanni Tapia Lopez

Computer Science & Engineering

Mi3 Lab

Teddy Ho

Teddy Ho

Computer Science & Engineering

Mi3 Lab

RM

Ricardo Martinez

JL

Jason Lopez

JS

Jannatul Ferdous Srabonee

Inclusive Interaction Lab

MR

Miguel Reyes

IS

Ivan Sandoval

Capstone Team 1

DM

David Ma

Capstone Team 1

JY

Jimmi Y

Capstone Team 1

KT

Kevin Tsai

Capstone Team 1

PC

Paolo Caso

Capstone Team 1

SJ

Santiago De Jesus

Capstone Team 2

CA

Christopher Sumano Arango

Capstone Team 2

MH

Mingwei Huang

Capstone Team 2

IQ

Ian Quackenbush

Capstone Team 2

MP

Max Pierron

Capstone Team 2

Amarsan Tsyrendorzhiev

Amarsan Tsyrendorzhiev

Computer Science & Engineering

UROC Intern

?

To Be Announced

SSI Intern (Academic Year)

Join the Team

Students interested in joining the CivicProgress Challenge effort are warmly welcome. Please email rossgreer@ucmerced.edu to express interest, and include a short note about your background and what draws you to accessible mobility research.