On October 29, Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited the American Center for Mobility (ACM) to examine how Michigan and the mobility industry leverage this premier smart city test center for the acceleration of mobility technologies through testing, research, and educational activities.
Governor Whitmer was welcomed by the ACM executive team including CEO Michael Noblett who provided an overview of the past, present, and future growth of this public-private partnership. Governor Whitmer was also greeted by honored guests including Jeff Mason, Michigan Economic Development Corporation chief executive; Paul Ajegba, director of Michigan DOT; Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK; and Trevor Pawl and Sarah Tennant representing MEDC new mobility and cybersecurity initiatives.
Ford Motor Company’s autonomous vehicle team demonstrated how they gain value from their access to the ACM test center. Ford showcased several concept vehicles in their on-site vehicle laboratories, exemplifying how their work at ACM impacts the work they do globally to advance Ford’s connected and autonomous vehicle deployment.
Wrapping up the Governor’s visit, was a tour of the ACM’s 500-acre test center with more than five miles of road systems outfitted with an intelligent transportation system. On the tour, she witnessed dynamic demonstrations of active safety technologies where a vehicle safely impacts a soft vehicle target, rain simulation, and also demonstrations with traffic signals showcasing how in-vehicle technologies help capture DSCRC data by engineers.
