Surface Transportation Research (STR)
The Leidos STR team at the Saxton Transportation Operations Lab is shaping the future of transportation.
Through leading-edge research and development, we're helping the US government prepare for a future when connected vehicles and smart infrastructure will work seamlessly together to make autonomous travel on our roadways safe, efficient and equitable.
The Saxton Lab
The Saxton Lab (STOL) is a state-of-the-art facility in McLean, VA that houses a fleet of autonomous vehicles used for cooperative driving automation (CDA) research and development (R&D). The facility is surrounded by an extensive network of connected roads, smart traffic signals, and sensor installations that enable our team to perform a wide variety of tests in a real-world environment, without leaving campus.
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Cooperative Driving Automation
Our Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA) Program is leading research around the world on automated vehicles, leveraging emerging capabilities in automation and cooperation to advance transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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University Partners
The Saxton Lab partners with universities across the country to expand our research capability, grow our data ecosystem and prepare the intelligent workforce of the future.
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Simulation
In addition to our unique ability to perform real-world testing on-site at the lab, we are also developing simulation technologies that allow for highly accurate testing in both fully simulated and mixed-reality environments.
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Meet Our Team
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Lead Software Developer, Ethan Slattery, has one of the most interesting jobs in a lab that's full of them. As the lead development engineer for several simulation projects, Ethan has various industries such as gaming, defense, and motorsports, into transportation simulation testing methodologies. He joined the Leidos family by way of Gibbs & Cox (a Leidos company) in 2021 where he worked as the Senior Specialty Engineer before moving into his current role at the Saxton Lab. As part of a team that is full of "car people", Ethan is among the most dedicated, having spent parts of his career working on other simulation projects for McLaren, Volkswagen, and Motivo. Ethan is sometimes guilty of taking his work home with him as he is a major Formula 1 racing fan and likes to catch the races every Sunday, often at difficult times as most events are overseas.
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Animesh Balse, Tech Transfer Manager, is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the Intelligent Transportation ecosystem. Since joining Leidos in 2018, he has become one of the most knowledgeable experts in the community. He's also one of the most friendly people in the lab and several external stakeholders have agreed over the years to join projects as volunteer consultants on various projects, just for the chance to work with him. He earned his bachelor's degree in Automotive Engineering at Mumbai University and holds a Master's in Electric Drive Vehicle Engineering from Wayne State University.
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Steven Vu joined Leidos an intern in 2020 while completing his studies as a marketing major at the University of Virginia. Upon completing his degree, Steven accepted a full-time job offer with the Leidos Saxton Lab communications team. Since then, he has authored many articles that have appeared in Public Roads magazine and is talented writer and editor for all forms of media. Steven is a huge gymnastics fan and follows the sport year-round (not just every four years during the Olympics) and even competed at a high level himself before injuries took their toll and forced him to become a full-time spectator.
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Mae Margarette Fromm is Senior Software Engineer for Leidos, having worked in the Saxton Lab since 2017. Mae is one of the most talented web developers on the team who has been leveraging her front-end development skills for over 18 years. In her current role, Mae leads development of the user interface for the CARMA platform and leads the CARMA testing & evaluation program. She's also the lead project manager on the US DOT’s Next Generation Spectrum Research Testing Support. Mae's talents are many but she's nowhere near being done growing and learning; she's currently pursuing her MBA at George Mason, the same university where she earned her undergraduate degree in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems with Minor in Information Technology.
Advanced Technologies in Transportation
We study new transportation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and advancements in data collection and dissemination. By optimizing existing, and developing innovative, transportation technologies for deployment, our research will power improvements in transportation safety, mobility, and reliability.
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Smart Infrastructure
At the core of our mission, we're focused on advancing the sophistication and reliability of smart transportation infrastructure. Connected traffic signals, smart cross-walks and more all undergo in-depth R&D and testing every day at the Saxton Lab.
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