Chengbo Ai

Dr. Chengbo Ai is an Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in transportation infrastructure and safety research. He holds a Ph.D. in Transportation Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Peking University.

• Research Interests: Transportation Asset Management, Mobile LiDAR Applications, Roadway Safety Analytics, and Spatial Infrastructure Analysis
• Current Projects: Developing automated guardrail/sidewalk inventory systems, improving pedestrian infrastructure accessibility, and optimizing rail inspection methods

Publications focus on integrating computer vision, machine learning, and geospatial technologies for infrastructure condition assessment. Recent work includes automated guardrail evaluation, rail gage inspection using consumer-grade devices, and pedestrian network analysis.

• Awards:
  • Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship recipients (2020-2022)
  • Acorn Innovation Grant (2019)
  • Best Poster Award at MassDOT Conference (2019)
• Students: Mentors Ph.D. researchers in pavement preservation, LiDAR processing, and transportation equity, with alumni working at FHWA, AECOM, and leading engineering firms

Lab Facilities include advanced LiDAR systems (Theodore 1-3), dual-GPU workstations (Sullivan, Wazowski), and field vehicles like "Cynthia" for mobile mapping.