{"id":79658,"date":"2026-09-25T14:16:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T18:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=79658"},"modified":"2026-09-25T15:10:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:10:50","slug":"utc-earns-third-place-in-national-u-s-department-of-transportation-innovation-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/utc-earns-third-place-in-national-u-s-department-of-transportation-innovation-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC earns third place in national U.S. Department of Transportation innovation challenge\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Members

From left: Yasir Hassan, software engineer at the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP); Austin Harris, CUIP deputy director and chief technology officer; Dr. Mina Sartipi, interim vice chancellor for research; and Dr. Maged Shoman, research assistant professor at the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, celebrate UTC\u2019s third-place finish in the ARPA-I Ideas and Innovation Challenge.<\/p><\/div>\n

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga earned third place and a $150,000 prize in a national U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) competition for an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to improve transportation safety and efficiency.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

UTC\u2019s PRISM: AI-Powered Platform for Real-Time Intelligence in Shared Mobility was one of four projects selected to compete in the finals of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Infrastructure Ideas and Innovation Challenge on Friday, Sept. 25, at DOT headquarters in Washington. The UTC-led team advanced from an initial field of 448 submissions from across the country.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

UTC was the only university-led team among the four finalists.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are incredibly proud of our team and grateful to the U.S. Department of Transportation for recognizing the potential of PRISM,\u201d said Dr. Mina Sartipi, interim vice chancellor for research. \u201cEarning third place among some of the nation\u2019s most innovative transportation ideas is an exciting validation of both the technology and the collaborative ecosystem that made it possible. We are especially grateful to all of our partners whose expertise and collaboration have been integral to this work. This award gives us an opportunity to continue advancing PRISM and demonstrating how shared, real-time transportation intelligence can make mobility safer, more efficient and more resilient, not only in Chattanooga, but in communities across the country.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The project brings together UTC and partners from government, research and industry, including the City of Chattanooga, UT Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, ITS America, Audi, Volkswagen Group of America and WSP.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Developed by researchers at the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress, a center of the UTC Research Institute, PRISM uses existing cellular and connected infrastructure to create a real-time digital twin of transportation systems.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The platform brings together data from roadway sensors, connected vehicles and communication networks to provide vehicles, infrastructure and transportation operators with a shared understanding of what is happening across the transportation network. By processing information closer to where it is collected, PRISM can deliver predictive alerts and operational information with less delay.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The technology is being validated on Chattanooga\u2019s MLK Smart Corridor, where UTC researchers have spent years developing and testing connected transportation technologies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ideas Challenge was a two-stage national competition created to identify emerging transportation technologies that could help shape future research and development at ARPA-I and the Department of Transportation. UTC first advanced as one of 15 Stage 1 winners before being selected for the four-team final round.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe level of ingenuity and technical excellence displayed by all four finalists today is a testament to the incredible talent driving the American spirit of innovation,\u201d said USDOT Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Seval Oz in a press release<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cThese teams brought a game-changing approach to our most critical infrastructure challenges. Paired with our historic gathering of Directors from all five ARPA agencies, today marks a pivotal moment in our nationwide collaboration to prepare and modernize our transportation infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n