Embry-Riddle Researcher Named Fulbright Specialist to Verify Autonomous Vehicle Safety

Dr. Rahul Razdan, a senior research consultant at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems (CARS), has received a Fulbright Specialist award to develop methodologies for validating the safety of complex AI-powered autonomous vehicles.

Razdan, an expert in autonomous vehicle technology, will travel to Hungary to the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Automotive Engineering at Széchenyi István University, where he will work on two projects. One will investigate electromagnetic interference along transportation corridors caused by expansion of the use of radar and LiDAR (remote sensing that uses laser pulses to measure distances and create representations of environments) by autonomous vehicles. The other examines methodologies for validating the safety of electronics with artificial intelligence components. The Hungarian university is connected with ZalaZone, one of Europe’s most advanced automotive testing tracks.

Dr. Razdan has received a Fulbright Specialist award.

Razdan joined CARS, one of Embry-Riddle’s Centers of Excellence, in October. Collaborating extensively with Dr. Ilhan Akbas, associate professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department and a member of CARS leadership, Razdan focuses on the safety of a variety of emerging technologies, such as autonomy in airborne systems.

"Autonomous systems — whether on land, in the air, at sea, or in space — hold immense potential.” Razdan said. “To fully harness this technology, especially in safety-critical applications, we must rigorously validate their functionality. My research focuses on demonstrating that these systems can be developed and deployed with a high degree of assurance."

Akbas said Razdan’s collaboration with CARS has expanded their joint research network and benefited students.

“An early benefit of this research network was our ability to send three Embry-Riddle students to Europe through the National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students program,” Akbas said.

In 2024, Razdan was also the recipient of Fulbright Hungary’s John von Neumann Distinguished Award in STEM, which like his more recent award, furthered international research and industrial collaboration through work at Széchenyi István University.