Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2022 Recipient – Pradeep Bhat

I started as a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics in 2017. Before coming to MTU, I was working in Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai, India as an Engineer. I finished my Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Mumbai University, India. I had a desire and curiosity to participate in academic research which led to me looking for graduate study opportunities. The goal of my proposed research is to advance eco-driving research for energy savings considering connected and automated environment. Enhancements in the transportation sector can be brought by Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) as they improve traffic throughout and automobile efficiency. Every vehicle in a connected environment can communicate and share its travel behavior, local traffic information, energy consumption, nearby traffic congestion, and road accidents. The advancement of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and traffic monitoring systems provides opportunities to share short-term future information. The emerging ITS technologies include but are not limited to the Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), on-board vehicle receivers, e-horizon solutions, detailed offline and/or online maps, and real-time communication with service providers/government agencies. These improvements create opportunities for the innovation, research and development of connected and automated vehicles.

I am fortunate to be able to learn and work in the interdisciplinary area of research. I would like to express gratitude to the Department and Graduate school for accepting my application. Thereby, giving me an opportunity to join MTU as a student. Also, sincere thanks to graduate school for the fellowship award.  My special thanks to Dr. Bo Chen my advisor for accepting me as her student and guiding me during the research. Also, to all the committee members (Dr. Jeffery D Naber, Dr. Darrell L Robinette, and Dr. Stephen A Hackney) for their time and guidance.