JMU Autonomous Cart -JACart- Research Group

04/23/2026

08/20/2025

This summer 2025 - a team of 14 students worked on the JMU autonomous golf cart project - 7 seniors, 2 CCI raising juniors and 5 Alamein International University AIU - جامعة العلمين الدولية JMU research experience students.

05/04/2025

Another Semester of the Autonomous Vehicle Course - Students from CS, IT, and Engineering worked together the whole semester to enhance the quality of our two autonomous golf carts.

11/15/2024

Better late than never! Last summer, three undergraduate students from the Computer Science Department, majoring in Computer Science and Information Technology, worked on the JACart project, which was funded by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI). Their role was to assist in duplicating the existing cart, and thanks to their efforts, we now have two new carts affectionately named "James" and "Madison" by the Spring 2024 Autonomous Vehicle Class. One of their primary goals was to upgrade the Robot Operating System (ROS) from version I to II, update the software dependencies, and ensure that we developed a robust system that could be deployed on any new autonomous golf cart.

10/02/2023

An autonomous one may get out of its route or path - will it be able to go back to its route ?

Still more work need to be done

04/07/2023

We are so excited to share a story about one of our former students ( IT major alumnus) Bobby Perkins - who have been part of our JACart project. JMU LibrariesJames Madison UniversityJMU Autonomous Cart -JACart- Research Group

Have you heard of the self-driving golf cart built by JMU students and faculty? While most of the project took place in JMU X-Labs and King Hall, Bobby Perkins knew that students from any major have access to The Makery, where he created and tested prototypes to bring back to his team. Learn more about the project in this week's JMU Libraries story: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/feature-friday-self-driving-golf-cart/

12/13/2022

Dr. Nathan Sprague discussing JMU Autonomous Cart -JACart- Research Group work, lovely interview, you must hear it!

With Good Reason Radio

Let's take a ride in an automated golf cart.

10/06/2022

Last week, we were honored to have Dean Mustafa ElNainay ( Dean of the faculty of Computer Science and Engineering) from Alamein International University AIU - جامعة العلمين الدولية visiting James Madison University - Dean ElNainay met Dean Robert Kolvoord ( Dean of the College of Integrated Science and Engineering), Associate Dean Jeff Tang, and several of faculty members from the college CISE). They agreed to start the process of Implementing international collaboration between JMU and AIU. Dean ElNainay also had the chance to meet JMU students working on JMU Autonomous Cart -JACart- Research Group and try a demo of JMU Autonomous Cart #1 with Dr. Samy El-Tawab (Program Director of the new Information Technology Major under the Computer Science Department) at James Madison University as part of establishing of a center of excellence in applied smart cities research to serve New Alamein City - مدينة العلمين الجديدة

09/03/2022

This week, we got a visitor. One of our alumni who worked on the project for almost two years as a student, research assistant and teaching assistant. Matty Wolfson is located now at Boston and we are so happy he came visit us JMU Research and Scholarship Commonwealth Cyber Initiative JMU Computer Science

09/03/2022

Watch Matty Wolfson and Samy El-Tawab talking about the JMU Autonomous Cart -JACart- Research Group project Commonwealth Cyber Initiative
JMU Research and Scholarship

Professors: JMU Professors put Students First https://youtu.be/glMosVSTJgk via

Check out Matty’s story at …Professors at JMU make students their top priority. Our focus is on undergraduates, so faculty are here to welcome you in ways th...