Driving Safety Research Institute | College of Engineering | The University of Iowa

Our Mission

We aim to make roads safer by researching the connection between humans and vehicles. We are home to the National Advanced Driving Simulator, and we now have a new name for our broader institute: the Driving Safety Research Institute.

About Us

Participate

Participate in one of our studies, or join our registry to get notified about new studies.

Rose Schmitt and John Gaspar in NADS-1 control room

Our Research

We partner with researchers around the world to study the connection between humans and vehicles.

The 24-foot NADS-1 simulator is on a six-legged base that rotates up to 330° and moves across the 64-foot square bay floor to simulate driving motions such as accelerating, lane changing, and skidding. There are 23 brakes on the large crossbeam that spans the room, while 42 hydrostatic bearings ride on a thin film of oil across smooth metal belts.

Our Tech

Simulators and Vehicles miniSim

News

Ford Transit shuttle bus at AutonomouStuff

ADS project update: Our vehicle is now becoming automated

Friday, December 4, 2020

Our Automated Driving Systems (ADS) for Rural America project vehicle, a Ford Transit, is being outfitted with technologies that will give it automated capabilities. Soon, the transit will arrive at the University of Iowa and our demonstration project and testing will begin.

KGAN: New driving behavior a concern heading into winter

Friday, November 20, 2020

KGAN

Changing driver behavior due to the COVID-19 pandemic in combination with dangerous winter conditions raises concern for many driving safety officials in the state of Iowa. Driving Safety Research Institute director, Daniel McGehee discusses the dangers of speed and the changes in driver behavior due to the pandemic.

University of Iowa researchers focus on the transition from self-driving to manual modes in vehicles

Monday, October 26, 2020

The Gazette

NADS pulls in nearly $1.5M to further study transition of control in automated vehicles

Thursday, October 15, 2020

National Advanced Driving Simulator

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) recently granted the University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) a $1.45 million award to further study transition of control in automated vehicles in a simulation environment.

Take a 360 degree virtual tour of the National Advanced Driving Simulator

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Check out our virtual tour of our facility, including the simulators and research vehicles.

The Rural Hurdle

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Adapt Automotive

What happens when an autonomous vehicle is not on a coastline highway, but a gravel road that it has to navigate? That is precisely what Omar Ahmad and his team at the University of Iowa are hoping to answer.

Automated shuttle bus on rural Iowa road

ADS for Rural America

Learn more about our Automated Driving Systems (ADS) for Rural America project, which drove a partially-automated shuttle bus through Iowa City, Hills, Riverside, and Kalona, Iowa.

Tour our tech

Take a 360 degree virtual tour of our facility, and learn more about our technology and expertise.