SAE / GM CivicProgress Challenge
Accessible mobility through connected and autonomous vehicle technology
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.
Faculty
Ross Greer, Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor
Assistant Professor
Computer Science and Engineering
Ricardo de Castro, Ph.D.
Co-Faculty Advisor
Assistant Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Ahmed Sabbir Arif, Ph.D.
Co-Faculty Advisor
Associate Professor
Computer Science and Engineering
Marcus Lee, Ph.D.
Co-Faculty Advisor
Assistant Teaching Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Santosh Chandrasekhar, Ph.D.
Co-Faculty Advisor
Assistant Teaching Professor
Computer Science and Engineering
Spencer Castro, Ph.D.
Co-Faculty Advisor
Assistant Professor
Management of Complex Systems
Research Team
Wesley Maia
PhD · Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Mi3 Lab
Angel Martinez Sanchez
PhD · Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Mi3 Lab
Parthib Roy
MS · Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Mi3 Lab
Jannatul Ferdous Srabonee
PhD · Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Inclusive Interaction Lab
Kianna Ng
PhD · Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Mi3 Lab
Erika Maquiling
MS · Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Mi3 Lab
Miguel Reyes
Mechanical Engineering
Miranda Cortez
BS · Computer Science & Engineering
Mi3 Lab
Giovanni Tapia Lopez
BS · Computer Science & Engineering
Mi3 Lab
Teddy Ho
BS · Computer Science & Engineering
Mi3 Lab
Shaaz Saleem
Computer Science & Engineering
R & D Club
Ian Quackenbush
BS · Mechanical Engineering
Capstone Team 2
Amarsan Tsyrendorzhiev
BS · Computer Science & Engineering
UROC Intern
Niki Zamani
MS · Management of Complex Systems
CAR TECH Lab
Ricardo Martinez
Co-Design Coordinator
Jason Lopez
Samir Ahmed
Project Manager · BS Computer Science & Engineering
SSI Intern (Academic Year)
R & D Club
Devin Dhami
BS · Computer Science & Engineering
University Honors Program
R & D Club
Rayan Dua
BS · Computer Science & Engineering
University Honors Program
R & D Club
Ivan Sandoval
BS
Capstone Team 1
David Ma
BS
Capstone Team 1
Jimmi Y
BS
Capstone Team 1
Kevin Tsai
BS
Capstone Team 1
Paolo Caso
BS
Capstone Team 1
Santiago De Jesus
BS
Capstone Team 2
Christopher Sumano Arango
BS
Capstone Team 2
Mingwei Huang
BS
Capstone Team 2
Max Pierron
BS
Capstone Team 2
Shawn Shan
Eliud Vega
BS · Mechanical Engineering
Mi3 Lab
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.