Moeed Mughal spent the summer at UFTI working with Dr. Siva Srinivasan and doctoral student Bryce Grame, as part of the Secure, Accessible, Sustainable, Transportation (SAST) cohort. Their research focused on Eye-Tracking Applications in Transit, which aims to understand drivers’ perceptions when using specialized eye-tracking glasses. The researchers examined the associated benefits to transit and how transit agencies perceive implementing large-scale eye-tracking systems.

Mughal is now a senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, majoring in Information Systems and Psychology. He has always been fascinated by technology’s impact on our lives and hopes to apply the technical skills he learns from both degrees after graduation. He says his Psychology degree will help him understand human behavior and the mind – something he considers vital for his future career. Additionally, he is obtaining two minor degrees. He has completed one minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and he is currently working on his minor in Management.

“I’m pursuing a minor in entrepreneurship because I’ve always been drawn to creative problem-solving and innovation. It’s beneficial as it teaches me how to turn ideas into reality, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. Networking opportunities and real-world startup insights are added bonuses. On the other hand, my minor in management focuses on leadership and organization, essential skills for any career path. These minors complement each other well, offering a balanced skill set for future opportunities,” Mughal explains.

Mughal’s task this summer was to develop a qualitative survey that could be sent to Florida transit agency directors, operators, drivers, and other industry professionals to determine their perceptions of eye tracking and driving automation. “We want to provide them with the information that they need to help make an informed decision on these topics. It was a challenge at first trying to figure out what the best way to structure and what software to use for the survey was, but eventually I was able to create a survey that was effective in achieving our ultimate goal. We were able to get into contact with different transit agencies all over Florida and were able to receive responses quickly,” he explains.

“The eye-tracking glasses can also help us find potential use cases for CARMA implementation. CARMA can make transportation a lot safer in the future due to the communication between vehicles and other vehicles, infrastructure, and other road users,” Mughal explained.

The CARMA program, according to the U.S. DOT, was developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to lead research on cooperative driving automation (CDA), among other goals. According to their website, it uses a multimodal approach to encourage collaborative research on the technology, open-source tools, and frameworks poised to improve transportation system mobility, safety, and efficiency.

Mughal says that the Florida climate was a “nice change of environment” compared to Maryland and he really enjoyed seeing all the wildlife when he’d take walks in the evening. Additionally, visiting our museums, local halal food spots, the Kennedy Space Center and tubing rounded out his time in Gainesville. We thank Moeed Mughal for his help this summer and wish him all the best after graduation. Who knows? We might see him back here for graduate school.

It’s still possible to get to know our second summer intern, Moeed Mughal, who is now a senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Mughal is majoring in Information Systems and Psychology, because he has always been fascinated by technology’s impact on our lives and he hopes to apply the technical skills he learns from both degrees after graduation. He says his Psychology degree will help him understand human behavior and the mind – something he considers vital for his future career. Additionally, he is obtaining two minor degrees. He has completed one minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and he is currently working on his minor in Management.

“I’m pursuing a minor in entrepreneurship because I’ve always been drawn to creative problem-solving and innovation. It’s beneficial as it teaches me how to turn ideas into reality, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. Networking opportunities and real-world startup insights are added bonuses. On the other hand, my minor in management focuses on leadership and organization, essential skills for any career path. These minors complement each other well, offering a balanced skill set for future opportunities,” Mughal explains.

Mughal spent the summer conducting research with Dr. Siva Srinivasan and doctoral student Bryce Grame, as part of the Secure, Accessible, Sustainable, Transportation (SAST) cohort.  and they focused on Eye-Tracking Applications in Transit. This study is working to understand drivers’ perceptions of these specialized eye-tracking glasses, their benefits to transit, and how transit agencies perceive implementing large-scale eye-tracking systems.

Mughal’s task this summer was to develop a qualitative survey that could be sent to Florida transit agency directors, operators, drivers, and other industry professionals to determine their perceptions of eye tracking and driving automation. “We want to provide them with the information that they need to help make an informed decision on these topics. It was a challenge at first trying to figure out what the best way to structure and what software to use for the survey was, but eventually, I was able to create a survey that was effective in achieving our ultimate goal. We were able to get into contact with different transit agencies all over Florida and were able to receive responses quickly,” he explains.

“The eye-tracking glasses can also help us find potential use cases for CARMA implementation. CARMA can make transportation a lot safer in the future due to the communication between vehicles and other vehicles, infrastructure, and other road users,” Mughal explained.

The CARMA program, according to the U.S. DOT, was developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to lead research on cooperative driving automation (CDA), among other goals. According to their website, it uses a multimodal approach to encourage collaborative research on the technology, open-source tools, and frameworks poised to improve transportation system mobility, safety, and efficiency.

Mughal says that the Florida climate was a “nice change of environment” compared to Maryland and he really enjoyed seeing all the wildlife when he’d take walks in the evening. Additionally, visiting our museums, local halal food spots, the Kennedy Space Center and tubing rounded out his time in Gainesville. We thank Moeed Mughal for his help this summer and wish him all the best after graduation. Who knows? We might see him back here for graduate school.