TechLab at Mcity is an incubator for early-stage mobility companies in the connected and autonomous vehicle industry. The incubator places a heavy emphasis on student learning by matching emerging transportation startups with students interested in applying classroom learning to practical technology development.
Maxim Hayes
Computer Science | Class of 2021
Tianhong Wen
Mechanical Engineering | Class of 2019
Jon Mullen - Team Mentor
CTO | RightHook
Improving Upon a New Kind of PGiL
RightHook's simulation platform offers a full closed-loop testing environment that allows companies to repeatedly and rigorously test millions of scenarios by driving, flying and navigating in virtual worlds hosted in the cloud. The student team will improve upon a new kind of "proving-grounds-in-the-loop" (PGiL) simulation, where a physical vehicle is driven in a physical environment (the proving grounds) through virtual traffic (the simulation). This includes creating augmented imagery offline and implementing message processing and recording to use vehicle state in simulator.
Betty Wan
Mechanical Engineering | Class of 2020
Jason Magyari
Mechanical Engineering | Class of 2020
Lawyer Vaughn Jr. - Team Mentor
Autonomous Vehicle Product/Infrastructure Tester | May Mobility
Eric Savage - Team Mentor
Test Engineer | May Mobility
Deploying Fully Autonomous Shuttles
May Mobility recently purchased a RC-Dummy that is planned to be repurposed for automobility testing. The student team is working on a robotics product that is already professional grade, but will be doing modifications to it to suit May Mobility. At the end of this project the team will have designed and built a mobile test platform that can be used in AV related tests.
Matt Saraceno
Computer Science| Class of 2021
Nathan Gaissert
Electrical Engineering | Class of 2020
Raunaq Bose - Team Mentor
Co-Founder and CTO | Humanising Autonomy
Wassim El Youssoufi - Team Mentor
Deep Learning Engineer | Humanising Autonomy
Predicting Human Behavior from Visual Camera Footage
The student team is working to improve the safety of AAATA buses and will build a prediction model specifically for pedestrian behavior in the Ann Arbor area. By notifying bus drivers of risky pedestrian behavior, they can improve their decisions to slow down, brake or turn in how best to react more quickly.
Anthony Liang
Computer Science | Class of 2020
Harry Sood
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering | Class of 2020
Brian Pilnick - Team Mentor
North American Product Lead | Innoviz
Kun Huang
Computer Science | Class of 2020
LiDAR Remote Sensing Solutions
The student team is working with a production sensor and a third party software to extract object information such as pedestrian detection and tracking. As part of the project, students do a 'sanity check' on the sensor and measure accuracy and range detection capability of various objects at various distances and lighting conditions. They also interface with the traffic light controllers and other connected infrastructure installed at MCity.
Omar Alhazzaa
Computer Engineering | Class of 2021
Matthew Johnson-Roberson - Team Mentor
Co-Founder and CEO | Refraction AI
All Weather Self-Driving Delivery Vehicles
The student team is working to improve the performance of Refraction AI's visual SLAM system at dusk and low light. This will include working with Refraction's engineering team to evaluate the current sensor suite and lighting hardware on the vehicle.
We encourage applicants to demonstrate an active interest in our program through attending events in addition to submitting an application. RSVP now for our 2020 Recruitment Events!
A casual meet and greet to learn from TechLab and ELP students about their TechLab/ELP journey, what it’s like to be a woman in entrepreneurship, and how to further your entrepreneurial career. Food and good conversation is included!
On North Campus | September 12 | 5 – 7 p.m. | Duderstadt Gallery | RSVP Now
Join us for our signature event! The Innovation Challenge is an entrepreneurial game that challenges participants to design, build, plan, and execute, utilizing teamwork and networking. Come learn about how to further your entrepreneurial career through TechLab at Mcity and ELP, while having some fun!
On North Campus | September 25 | 5 – 8 p.m. | Duderstadt Basement | RSVP Now
At this info session, Nick Moroz, Assistant Director of Entrepreneurial Practice and Emilee Studley, Fellowship Programs Specialist will present the program with a few of the current cohort students and will also answer whatever questions you may have about this exciting opportunity!
On North Campus | October 9 | 5 – 6:30 p.m. | 1180 Duderstadt | RSVP Now
FOR STUDENTS
ENTR 390. 013 | Tues. 4-6PM, 1690 Beyster
TechLab students experience entrepreneurship while working in the emerging industry of connected and autonomous vehicle industry (CAV). We are looking for the most driven, passionate and talented students to join this program.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Tackle industry challenges through CAV technical projects as part of the 1-year fellowship program (Winter-Fall; 3 credits/semester)
- Gain experience developing new technologies at an early-stage startup
- Receive mentorship from industry experts, fellow students, and U-M faculty across multiple disciplines
- Attend lectures from faculty and industry partners on topics such as business models and project management
- Obtain leadership and collaboration skills while completing a sponsored company project with other driven and passionate classmates
FOR COMPANIES
COHORT INFORMATION
Partnering companies lead entrepreneurial innovation while leveraging elite and technically-skilled U-M student teams who work to tackle company-sponsored technical projects. This Company-in-Residence program is for early-stage advanced mobility companies in the connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) industry.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Work on your proposed year-long project with a small team of top-tiered talented student interns
- Receive access to the Mcity Test Facility–the nation’s leading mobility research and urban test facility on U-M’s North Campus
- Gain connections with U-M faculty and industry experts
- Leverage the close proximity to Detroit, the birthplace of mobility
STUDENT FAQs
We have several suggested, but not required, skills and courses to successfully complete company sponsored projects. They are: Robotics, Mechatronics (Design, CAD, and machine shop skills), ability to code in C, Python, or C++, machine vision, machine learning, AI focus, mobile software development. The suggested courses are: ME 250, ME 350, and ME 450, EECS 442, 453, 445, 461, 463, other 400+, and courses in computer vision, robotics, and sensor fusion.
TechLab is open to all undergraduate students.
Due to the highly competitive nature of the program, if you are not accepted, we recommend reapplying the following year. Depending on the technical experience that a student has, an incoming freshman could be selected to participate.
At this time, TechLab is only open to undergraduate students. We are looking to expand the program to Master students.
In order to participate, you must be able to commit to two semesters – Winter & Fall.
Students are required to attend a lecture class every week. Class serves two purposes (1) Receive lectures from faculty on topics like business model and project management (2) Present weekly updates and ask for guidance relating to project roadblocks
To fit with U-M guidelines of 2-3 hours of work per credit hour, this course will require 8-10 hours outside of class.
Only selected students will be contacted via email.
Student teams have an hour-long weekly Skype or Google Hangout call with the company they are matched with. At different points during the year company leads may travel to Ann Arbor to work with students.
3 general elective credits per semester. You must be eligible to receive all 3 credits.
*Note: EECS students can use this course as a flexible technical credit. We are working to get this approved among other CoE departments.
COMPANY FAQs
We are looking for early-stage technology companies in the autonomous and connected vehicle industry. The typical TechLab company is one that has already raised > $5M dollars and has more than 15 employees. This guarantees that we are working with globally leading companies that are well on their way and have the management capability to oversee and contribute to projects in a substantial way.
All companies are required to submit a proposal. If you are interested in being considered for this incubator program, please email techlab-mcity@umich.edu.
Existing intellectual property of technology startups, and any IP developed using the U-M facilities, will be strictly protected and remain with your company. All students are required to sign a NDA.
Alumni Companies
Civil Maps
San Francisco, CA
Fall 2016 - Winter 2017
Tome
Detroit, MI
Fall 2017 - Fall 2018
NAVYA
Villeurbanne, France
Fall 2016 - Winter 2017
Zendrive
San Francisco, CA
Fall 2017 - Winter 2018
PolySync
Portland, OR and Ann Arbor, MI
Fall 2016 - Fall 2018
CARMERA
New York City, NY
Fall 2017 - Winter 2019
Jay Ellis
Instructor
Nick Moroz
Program Director
Emilee Studley
Program Specialist
Greg McGuire
Lab Director - Mcity
TechLab is managed by U-M Center for Entrepreneurship, in partnership with Mcity.
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Driving the Future of Mobility
Three high-potential companies from the West Coast—Zendrive, PolySync and Civil Maps—will join TechLab at Mcity this fall. The move is part of an expansion of an innovative program…
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