Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Michigan received a $300,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070), awarded September 1, 2026, with completion scheduled for August 31, 2029. This collaborative research initiative, titled "HUGAI: Human-Geo-AI Coalition Infrastructure Engines for Co-Designing Human-Centric Urban Micromobility Research," develops cyberinfrastructure software, datasets, and artificial intelligence models to advance the emerging field of micromobility vehicle research in urban environments. The project addresses the growing presence of electric scooters, bikes, personal vehicles, and delivery robots in public spaces by integrating methodologies from human-computer interaction, robotics, remote sensing, and AI to improve vehicle safety and operational considerations within larger transportation systems.

The award delivers three innovative AI-based service engines designed to strengthen the research community's capabilities. The sensing and perception engine processes data from established testbeds to enhance micromobility-to-everything interaction (MEI) data preparation and augmentation for AI model training. The MEI model engine provides researchers with AI models and tools supporting self-explainable graph models to expand sensing modality studies and deliver interpretable AI insights across multiple datasets. The coalition engine facilitates community engagement and knowledge sharing. Beyond direct research outcomes—including practical solutions for mitigating micromobility-related conflicts and accidents—the project supports workforce development by preparing high school and college students for careers in this growing transportation technology sector.