What CAST Lab Does

Connected Autonomous Safe Technologies (CAST) Laboratory engages in collaborative, multi-disciplinary research to accelerate deployment of safe and sustainable mobility, including connected autonomous vehicles.

Technology impactful to society is inherently multi-disciplinary, bringing together advances in a variety of scientific and technological areas (mechanical, electrical, chemical, electronic, and software systems). Our lab embraces this idea, adopting an open, multi-disciplinary, technology-based problem-solving approach to complex real-world issues.

As the value delivered to end users increases, so does the complexity of the underlying systems—often exponentially. This complexity introduces fundamental challenges: how to optimally design systems that meet functional objectives while satisfying diverse operational constraints; how to rigorously define those objectives with sufficient precision; how to verify that a system performs as intended; and, most critically, how to ensure that to operate safely under all expected conditions.

Our lab is dedicated to addressing these questions, specifically in two of the most rapidly advancing technological areas: Connectivity and Autonomy. Advances in sensing, actuation, control theory, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and optimization have driven significant progress in autonomous systems. At the same time, breakthroughs in communication and network technologies have enabled high-throughput, low-latency connectivity, allowing distributed systems to coordinate and act collectively toward shared objectives. We are particularly interested in solutions that leverage autonomy, connectivity, or their intersection to enhance human safety and security across diverse environments.