CU-ICAR provides a realistic environment where industry partners can work together with students to invent the future of production technology. From novel manufacturing processes and big data analytics to cognitive patterns with human-machine interaction and Industry 5.0, work focuses on producing cost competitive, sustainable manufacturing solutions and deep expertise to drive results for CU-ICAR’s partners.

Clemson’s advanced manufacturing research represents a unique confluence of expertise and infrastructure to provide timely, relevant translation of innovation directly to our industry partners.

Manufacturing Expertise and Research Focuses:

• The digitization of manufacturing systems
• Vehicle assembly
• Automation and human-robot interaction
• Data analytics and predictive maintenance
• Continuous process improvement
• Sustainable manufacturing and advanced materials
• Additive Manufacturing
• Battery Manufacturing

Advanced Materials Expertise and Research Focuses:

• Composite Mechanics
• Processing and characterization of polymers
• Multifunctional composites
• Nanocomposites
• Sustainable materials
• Microcellular foams
• Structural foams

The Vehicle Assembly Center (VAC) was formed in partnership with BMW, Siemens, and Greenville Technical College to bring together graduate and undergraduate engineering students with technical college students and industry experts in an academic manufacturing environment. This new educational model allows students and industry to work together on the same problem, in the same place, at the same time.

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Clemson Composites Center capabilities encompass a wide range of applications, from material synthesis and characterization to engineering and manufacturing services. Ongoing projects run the gamut from fundamental science to applied projects. A professional facility, the Clemson Composites Center conducts application engineering, full-scale prototyping, and short volume production runs for advanced composites and polymer components. The 6,500-square-foot center is run by full-time engineers and technicians who specialize in advanced materials and manufacturing R&D.

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CU-ICAR’s autonomous vehicle and robotics research is broad, varied and interdisciplinary by design. Connected and automated vehicles have the potential to significantly impact personal mobility, energy consumption, environmental sustainability and safety.

Connected vehicles combine leading technologies – advanced wireless communications, GPS navigation, on board computer processing, sensors and others – to provide safer passenger conditions and more efficient transportation systems.

Expertise and Research Focuses:

• Design, sensing, control and learning for autonomy
• Resilience and robustness in networked cyber-physical systems
• Security, privacy and trust in CPS systems
• Human factors in CAV systems
• Real-time simulation, mixed reality and augmented reality
• Energy efficiency for CAV systems

Through the Open Connected and Automated Vehicle (OpenCAV) program, Clemson researchers have developed a novel modular, open-architecture, open-interface, and open-source-software based research instrument comprised of:

• Augmented reality (AR) based simulation to facilitate Simulation- based-Design (SBD) of hardware (e.g. sensor-suites) and software (e.g. algorithms) for a range of Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) applications
• Physical real-time hardware-in-the-loop validation on a full-scale vehicle retrofitted with advanced sensing, drive-by-wire, perception, connectivity, computation, and control modules.

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This interdisciplinary area of research takes a collaborative engineering-and-management approach that produces an integrated solution that satisfies all customer needs. These innovative solutions seek to satisfy manufacturer and end-user expectations, while accounting for a variety of factors including legislation, market aspects, physical limitations and costs.

Expertise and Research Focuses:

• Diagnostics and Prognostics
• Sustainable Mobility
• Safer Mobility
• Multi-physics Vehicle Concepts
• Dimensional Control Systems

Deep Orange immerses Clemson University graduate automotive engineering students into the world of future automakers and suppliers as part of their education. Working collaboratively, students, multi-disciplinary faculty, and participating industry partners focus on designing and producing a future vehicle concept incorporating breakthrough technology innovations with new development, manufacturing and assembly processes.

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Human factors and human machine interface incorporate psychology, engineering, computer science, medicine, and other disciplines to create tools and systems that maximize usability and satisfaction.

CU-ICAR is a unique interdisciplinary research center that includes faculty and students not only from various engineering disciplines, but also psychology, computer science and business. The integration and collaboration between these disciplines provides a unique human-centered approach and perspective to vehicle design and development.

Expertise and Research Focuses:

• Human machine interface (HMI)
• Human-centric autonomous vehicle design
• Multimodal human-machine interfaces
• Vehicle experience prototyping and development
• Heuristic evaluations and usability testing
• Vehicle integration with consumer electronics