Together with his partner Anthony Barrs, Baiyu Chen (CEE MS '15) won the top prize for "Hyperlane," a single platform the size of four interstate lanes that would run parallel to pre-existing highways in order for self-driving cars to travel at high speeds with no chance of getting into a jam.
It's a future that could exist as soon as 2050. Other transportation experts agree — so much so that the pair was awarded top prize and $50,000 for their design at the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge.
See:
- AEM Awards $50,000 Prize to Winners of Infrastructure Competition (Association of Equipment Manufacturers)
- Self-driving Cars Could Get Their Own Super-Fast Lane By 2050 (Fortune)
- Hyperlane high-speed autonomous vehicle project wins AEM's Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge (Better Roads)