2/25/2016 Miranda Holloway, MechSE Communications 3 min read
Seungho Lee recently earned his PhD from MechSE, but not before he won a national award from the Hyundai Motor Company Group.
The Hyu
Written by Miranda Holloway, MechSE Communications
The Hyundai Motor Group Global Top Talent Forum is an annual competition where participants, mainly PhD students, get to present their research to a panel from the company and discuss ideas with their peers.
Lee took home the top prize last fall with his presentation and research focused on “Model Predictive Smart Car” about autonomous, or self-driving, cars. He earned a one-time prize of $3,000 and a monthly stipend of $2,000.
In his presentation, Lee talked about how to use a model predictive control technique to develop a smart car. The main idea in his model is to make the car smart enough to handle various scenarios rather than consider all the possible situations that might happen on the road.
This can be done by utilizing a model predictive control. Using this method, according to Lee, the car can guarantee safety without sacrificing performance.
His car design included advanced smart cruise control, a lane departure warning system, a forward collision warning system, active suspension, and automatic parking.
As a doctoral candidate, Lee worked in MechSE Professor Geir Dullerud’s lab applying his predictive control technique to various applications. Lee’s theory behind the smart car application is similar to the research for which he was awarded an Air Force Office of Scientific Research grant—where he tested his model predictive control solution on naval ships in harbor.
He said the Hyundai forum and award win significantly affected his career path. It gave him reassurance that his approach for the autonomous car is a good one, and it motivated him to go into the automotive industry. Lee has since graduated and now works with Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles in Michigan.
“Before the award, I was not quite sure if my research could be directly used in the autonomous car. I was thinking about applying my research to the autonomous car from time to time, but not seriously. Preparing for the forum gave me a chance to organize my thoughts and to think more about its application to the autonomous car.”