Laredo, TX – Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) announced $260,700 in federal funding for TAMIU research for self-driving vehicles.  

“This funding will be pivotal in the future of autonomous vehicles and our infrastructure,” said Dr. Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I would like to thank Dr. Tashtoush, Acting President Castillo, and the US Army Contracting Command for their work in securing this funding.”

TAMIU faculty members will use this funding to purchase a Self-Driving Car Studio Bundle, which is a complete turn-key research and teaching laboratory for self-driving vehicles.  

Students and faculty will use this to develop algorithms for self-driving vehicles which can prioritize different metrics such as average delay or average emissions. The lab will also research how self-driving vehicles can be optimized for resilience, fault tolerance, and combat situations. 

This lab will enable students from across TAMIU’s engineering programs to modify code and engage in research opportunities. The lab will also be used for outreach to local middle and high school students. At least 100 underrepresented students will have the opportunity to develop core algorithms for self-driving vehicles to steer them towards STEM careers.

The award is provided through the DOD’s 2024 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program.  

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