Center for Automotive Research Seminar

Giorgio Rizzoni, Director, Center for Automotive Research

All dates for this event occur in the past.

Center for Automotive Research
Center for Automotive Research
903 Kinnear Rd.
CAR Classroom
United States

Transformational Technologies Reshaping Transportation – An Academia Perspective

Previously presented as the 2019 COMVEC Buckendale Lecture

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Abstract

This lecture presents an overview of technology trends and of market and business opportunities created by technology as well as the challenges posed by environmental and economic considerations. Commercial vehicles are one of the engines of our economy. Moving goods and people efficiently and economically is key to continued industrial development and strong employment. Commercial vehicles provide access to work and leisure time for millions of people and deliver and distribute the goods that make our economy move, from raw materials, to components, to finish products, as well as provide a multitude of services and support functions. While on-road trucks and buses represent only part of the global picture, with air, rail and sea also sharing in these functions, the health and efficiency of the commercial vehicle industry as a whole is a strong indicator of economic well-being. 

Today, the world of commercial vehicles is undergoing the greatest transformation in its history as information technology enables functions and capabilities, through connectivity and partial automation that were unimaginable even a decade ago. Propulsion technology is also undergoing dramatic changes, as electrification of the powertrain is rapidly becoming a reality. This paper provides a broad introduction to the challenges and opportunities that are facing the commercial vehicle industry today and also present a vision of where the industry is headed in the next ten to fifteen years. The challenges that accompany this transition are considerable, and demand that a new generation of engineers be educated and prepared for a new world of commercial vehicle technologies. It is an exciting time to be an engineer in the commercial vehicle sector!

About the Speaker

Giorgio Rizzoni received his B.S. (ECE) in 1980, his M.S. (ECE) in 1982, his Ph.D. (ECE) in 1986, all from the University of Michigan (UM). Between 1986 and 1990 he was a post-doctoral fellow, assistant research scientist and lecturer at UM. He joined the Ohio State University Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1990. He has held visiting positions at the Universita’ di Bologna, Italy, the Swiss Federal Politechnic Institute (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland, Politecnico di Milano, and Politecnico di Torino. 

Since 1999 he has been the director of the Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research (CAR), an interdisciplinary university research center in the college of engineering. CAR conducts research on advanced automotive and transportation technologies and systems engineering, focusing on sustainable mobility, advanced propulsion systems, human safety and the environment.