Ondokuz Mayıs University's (OMU) Engineering Faculty has earned top honors at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure's R&D Awards Summit in Ankara, clinching the "Most Economical R&D Award" for their innovative research and development project.
The award-winning project, developed at OMU's Engineering Faculty's Smart Transport Structures and Systems Excellence Center (#CEITSS), received recognition during the "Reaching and Accessible Türkiye 2053 Inter-University Research and Development Ideas Competition" held at TCDD Tower Restaurant in Ankara.
The award ceremony was attended by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, several university rectors, General Director of Highways Ahmet Gülşen, TCDD (Turkish State Railways) General Director Veysi Kurt, and numerous senior officials from various ministries, alongside researchers active in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
The project, titled "Development of an AI and Sensor-Based Vehicle Counting and Classification Device," was created by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin Mutlu Aydın and students from various departments at OMU. The team received the "Most Economical R&D Product Award" from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure's UDHAM.
The project team, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin Mutlu Aydın from the Department of Transportation Engineering, included students Fuat Yavuz from Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Zaid Enes from Civil Engineering, and Recep Arslan from Computer Engineering.
The competition, part of the "Reaching and Accessible Türkiye 2053" vision, showcased innovative projects and motivated contributions of young minds. Minister Uraloğlu expressed his belief in the new generation, stating, "The Century of Türkiye will rise with your light on your shoulders."
OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal presented the award to the OMU team, expressing pride in their achievement and emphasizing the importance of their contribution to Türkiye's research and innovation ecosystem.
Expressing pride in the success achieved by the OMU team, Rector Ünal congratulated the team members and shared the following thoughts:
"Artificial intelligence is our era's driving force and leading edge of technological transformation. We have witnessed how this technology provides significant solutions in the transportation sector and increases efficiency. There is fierce competition in the field of artificial intelligence. As a 'Candidate Research University,' our university strives to develop projects related to digital transformation in the transportation sector and its fundamental dynamics. Therefore, we must meet the expectations related to OMU through our projects and their outcomes. We believe that the project developed by our team will contribute to developing Türkiye's research and innovation ecosystem and create socio-economic value. I extend my gratitude to the team members on behalf of our university and wish them continued success."
Speaking at the award ceremony, the founder of the #CEITSS Laboratory, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin Mutlu Aydın, highlighted the significant contributions of their R&D product, developed as a prototype, to vehicle counting and classification on roads using artificial intelligence and sensor-based technology:
"With this domestic and national product, it will now be possible to conduct vehicle counting and classification in traffic at a meager cost in Türkiye. We believe this economical and efficient product will lead to higher efficiency on urban and intercity roads and offer better planning and management opportunities. Additionally, we believe that our project will enhance the collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and UDHAM within the scope of smart transportation and smart cities and provide opportunities to develop new projects. We aim to publicize OMU's name and work across Turkey and the world."
Dr. Aydın also noted that the project would increase the collaboration and new project development opportunities between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, a member of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Turkey Association [AUS Türkiye – ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) Türkiye], and OMU within the scope of smart transportation and smart cities.
The aim of the "Reaching and Accessible Türkiye 2053 Inter-University Research and Development Idea Competition" was to bring forth ideas that would shape the future of transportation and encourage young minds in this field. In line with this goal, 116 students from 29 different universities submitted applications with innovative ideas and creative projects in all modes of transportation.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Esma Dilek, President of the AUS Türkiye Association, which leads the development of Intelligent Transportation Systems in Türkiye, expressed their support and the importance of such internationally supported and student-focused projects in the field of intelligent transportation systems. President Dilek invited Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin Mutlu Aydın and his entire team to webinars and workshops to be organized under the leadership of AUSDER to reach other stakeholders in Türkiye and to present their academic-level work in intelligent transportation systems.
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