Imagine a future where cars drive themselves, not just on the streets of Silicon Valley, but across the globe. This isn't science fiction; it's happening right now, and Embry-Riddle engineering students are at the forefront of this revolution. Three students, Quentin Goss, Ryle Traub, and John M. Thompson, embarked on a journey that took their AI-driven autonomous vehicle research from the classrooms of Daytona Beach to the bustling streets of Istanbul, Turkey. But here's where it gets even more exciting: their adventure was part of a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded International Research Experience for Students (IRES) program hosted at Istanbul Technical University (ITU).
John M. Thompson, a Ph.D. student with five years of research experience at Embry-Riddle’s College of Engineering, found himself in uncharted territory—both literally and metaphorically. For Thompson, this was his first trip outside the U.S., and it proved to be a game-changer. Alongside Goss, another Ph.D. student, and Traub, an undergraduate, Thompson dove into a 10-week fellowship led by professors from the City College of New York. The program, fully funded by the NSF, covered all expenses and provided a stipend, allowing the students to focus entirely on their groundbreaking work at ITU’s E-Mobility and Autonomous Vehicles Lab.
But here's where it gets controversial: While autonomous vehicles promise safer roads and greater efficiency, they also raise questions about job displacement, ethical decision-making, and data privacy. Are we ready for a world where machines make life-or-death decisions on the road? Thompson, who also works as a data science engineer at Universal Orlando, sees this as an opportunity to explore new frontiers. “Collaborating with international researchers opened my eyes to new problems and innovative solutions,” he said. His research, focused on performance mapping and decision-making for autonomous vehicles, laid the groundwork for a joint paper on mixed-reality-based validation and testing.
All three students are part of the Flexible & Intelligent Complex Systems research group, led by Dr. M. Ilhan Akbas, an associate professor at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus. Akbas, who connected Traub with the ITU program, emphasized the global impact of the NSF IRES experience. “Students don’t just gain hands-on research skills; they build international networks and collaborations that last far beyond the program,” he explained. Traub, a senior Computer Science student, found the program to be a perfect blend of technical learning and cultural immersion. “Working on AI and robotics while experiencing Turkey’s rich culture was incredible,” he shared. His role involved physically programming cars to drive autonomously using machine learning, culminating in a perception-based algorithm that avoided both moving and stationary objects.
And this is the part most people miss: The NSF IRES program isn’t just about research; it’s about transforming careers. Traub, initially focused on web development, now sees his future in robotics and AI, particularly in autonomous systems. “The combination of perception, real-world interaction, and machine learning is where I want to be,” he said. Goss, who has spent a decade working with Akbas, applied his AI and machine learning validation framework to a real-world autonomous vehicle behavior model. For him, the program was a chance to network with hardware and electrical engineering professionals, broadening his software-focused expertise.
As these students continue their work—Thompson planning a collaborative project for the spring, Goss nearing the end of his dissertation, and Traub diving deeper into robotics—one thing is clear: the future of autonomous vehicles is being shaped by bold, curious minds like theirs. But the question remains: Are we prepared for the ethical and societal shifts this technology will bring? Let’s discuss—what are your thoughts on the rise of autonomous vehicles? Do the benefits outweigh the challenges, or are we moving too fast?
