Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab

Bringing Transportation Engineering Skills to Children in Rural and Underserved Communities

The Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) program is dedicated to advancing STEM education and fostering innovation. Our mission is to create enhanced educational opportunities for rural/urban core students through hands-on learning and exposure to cutting-edge transportation technologies. By creating and implementing the AMIL program, we aim to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technologists. Our focus on eye-catching demonstrations and project-based learning ensures that students learn about STEM principles and see their real-world applications.

Our Impact

STEM Education

• Use transportation technologies to teach STEM concepts
• Provide hands-on activities for students
• Train teachers to implement transportation themed & standards-based lessons

On-Site Demonstrations

• Display a real-life transportation scenario with active student participation
• Expose students to advanced transportation Vehicles and tools

Career Exposure

• Use the Demonstration and activities to introduce students to the various career paths in transportation and STEM

About Our Inaugural Event

Lakeway Christian Academy

November 14th, 2024

Our team rotated groups of students through 4 stations. The details of each are below. Before going through these activities the students were given a pamphlet with questions on it. These questions were answered during the presentations by experts at each station.

• Drone Technology: students learned from CTR Law Enforcement Liaison Armando Fontes and Derrick Woods, a County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) Criminal Justice Consultant and licensed drone pilot.
• Traffic Signal Technology: This station was manned by Airton Kohls, UT CTR research associate and developer/lead instructor of the Traffic Signal Academy under the Tennessee Transportation Assistance Program.
• Electric Vehicles: This activity was split into two parts. The first part being electric micro-mobility vehicles. After this, students made their way outside to an electric Ford Lightning that was brought in and presented by Kristy Green, a member of Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association.
• Autonomous Vehicles: This station was also split into two parts, with the students seeing themselves from a Lidar sensor’s point of view first, then heading outside to a real autonomous Lincoln MKZ with cameras and sensors mounted around the outside.

Our team was able to reach 255 students during this one day event!

Help Support Our Mission

We invite you to support and contribute to the Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab, so that you can be an integral supporter of a program dedicated to advancing STEM education for underserved and rural area students through hands-on learning and exposure to cutting-edge technologies.

Why Support the Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab?

Cultivate Future Talent

• Contributing to AMIL program will allow companies to play a crucial role in inspiring and nurturing the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technologists.

Enhance Corporate Social Responsibility

• Investment in the program demonstrates a company’s commitment to social responsibility and community development.

Vendor Contact

Airton Kohls: akohls@utk.edu

Educational Contact

Jerry Everett: jeverett@utk.edu

Media Contact

Marissa Maurer: mmaurer2@utk.edu