MSU innovations go on full display during Research Showcase

Brady Swan, research engineer with MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Lab, shows an MSU student one of the many drones the research center uses as part of its work to advance uncrewed aviation. (Photo by Grace Cockrell)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Magnolia State’s leading research university is showcasing groundbreaking innovations as part of ��Ƶ’s spring research celebration running through May 14.

MSU’s Office of Research and Economic Development this week hosted its second Research Showcase, featuring a dozen hands-on displays from academic departments and research centers highlighting MSU’s diverse research strengths.

“From musical arts to autonomous vehicles, our faculty and staff are constantly pushing their fields forward and making a difference in our state and world,” said MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan. “Our researchers have a lot to be proud of, and this event celebrates their hard work while exposing students to different research opportunities.”

Faculty and students demonstrated a solar telescope, 3-D printers for rapid prototyping, tools to assist people with blindness and low vision, physics experiments, kinetic force plates, veterinary medicine, live musical performances and more.

MSU’s EcoCAR EV Challenge vehicle, a 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ, sits on display during the 2025 MSU Research Showcase. MSU students are re-imagining the vehicle to incorporate electric and autonomous systems as part of the national EcoCAR competition. (Photo by Grace Cockrell)

MSU’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Mississippi Institute on Disabilities touted their collaboration focused on preparing individuals with disabilities for driving. The two entities have been working in recent years to develop DriVR, a virtual reality software program that expands access to driver training for people with disabilities. The software allows people to navigate different driving scenarios in a virtual environment, preparing them for the real-world driving that ultimately enhances independence and employment opportunities. Research Showcase visitors had a chance to test the prototype application.

MSU’s Agricultural Autonomy Institute, the nation’s first, showcased an agricultural drone representing one way researchers are working to help revolutionize agricultural practices. The institute displayed a Hylio agricultural spray drone, which is being used to study drones as an autonomous complement to traditional application methods such as tractors and crop-dusting planes. The research conducted through the Hylio drone is helping shape best practices of this emerging technology and expand its use among producers.

The drone was not the only autonomous vehicle on display. MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems brought two vehicles used as part of the center’s off-road autonomy work. The Clearpath Warthog and Polaris MRZR both are used to advance the development of autonomous platforms and software for navigating off-road environments. The research is bolstered by CAVS’ 55-acre, off-road proving ground and the MSU Autonomous Vehicle Simulator, or MAVS, allowing researchers to conduct virtual and physical tests. Adjacent to the Warthog and MRZR was the MSU EcoCAR team’s Cadillac LYRIQ, which MSU students have spent two years transforming with an all-electric powertrain and autonomous features as part of the national EcoCAR competition.

For more on MSU’s Spring Research Celebration, visit .

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