In August, 19 Twin Cities area high school students spent a week exploring all aspects of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) during the third annual CAV Career Pathways Camp.
The free camp gives students entering grades 10–12 a comprehensive introduction to CAV technology and related careers through field trips, hands-on opportunities with vehicles, and interactive classroom sessions.
This year, campers learned to program robot cars with help from U of M graduate student Robert Hairston; designed their own future vehicles; and explored the intersection of CAVs, traffic signals, and planning in sessions with staff from Bolton & Menk and HDR. They also attended a mini transportation career fair featuring representatives from Hennepin County, the City of Golden Valley, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).
Other highlights included:
- Getting an immersive overview of sensor technology and how it’s used in automation from SICK Sensor Intelligence, including a tour of its facility in Bloomington
- Learning all about unmanned aerial vehicles in a session from Northland Community and Technical College, which included a drone demonstration and flight simulator
- Visiting Accelerated Vehicle Technology, where campers learned about the tools used for recalibrating Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in vehicles involved in collisions
- Spending a day at MnROAD, a research facility operated by MnDOT, where students got a firsthand look at CAV technology—and took rides around the test track—in vehicles from The PLUM Catalyst, VSI Labs, and CTS’s MnCAV Ecosystem
