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http://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/AnnualMeeting.aspx

Smart Charging of Future Electric Vehicles Using Roadway Infrastructure

Roadways represent an important part of transportation infrastructure, serving as a backbone to enable better mobility for people and goods. Because roadways greatly impact the economic growth and development of communities, state-of-the-art research has focused on planning, designing, and constructing roadways to reduce environmental impact, increase sustainability, and improve the efficiency of transportation flow. However, due to increasingly large demands for reduced driver stress, independent mobility for non-drivers, and increased safety and in-vehicle infotainment, further research is called for on the development of novel roadways that can adapt for future vehicles (e.g., electric or self-driving cars). Inspired by the great amount of renewable energy sources available on the roadways such as mechanical pressure and frictional heat, and aiming to tackle today’s challenges caused by the limited battery capacity of modern electric and self-driving cars, this research project will explore, develop and implement innovative smart charging techniques for vehicles of the future (electric and self-driving cars) – namely, smart and illuminative charging (SIC) – by integrating existing roadways, state-of-the-art nanomaterials and power electronics technologies to create a smart, sustainable transportation infrastructure.