Tyler Folsom
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- Tyler Cleveland Folsom Jr. (father)
- Phyllis Emily Greer Folsom (mother)
Tyler Folsom | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 10, 1948 Seattle Washington, U.S. |
| Occupations | Engineer, academic, and researcher |
| Employer | Sperry Univac (1973–1976) |
| Parents |
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Tyler Cleveland Folsom III (born November 10, 1948) is an American engineer, academic, and researcher known for his work on autonomous vehicles,[1] micromobility, and sustainable urban transportation systems.[2] He is an affiliate professor in Computing and Software Systems and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington Bothell, where he leads projects integrating automation and lightweight electric vehicles.[3]
Folsom was born in Seattle Washington, to Tyler Cleveland Folsom Jr. and Phyllis Emily Greer Folsom.[4] He earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Villanova University in 1970 and a Master of Arts in mathematics from the University of Maryland in 1972.[5] Folsom later pursued engineering, completing both a Master of Science (1980) and a Doctor of Philosophy (1994) in Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington.[4]
Academic and professional career
Folsom started working at Sperry Univac from 1973 to 1976, where he worked on real-time operations control systems for two unmanned NASA spacecraft programs, the Orbiting Solar Observatory and Atmosphere Explorer, at the Goddard Space Flight Center.[6]
Folsom transitioned into full-time academia in 2000, joining DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Washington. He taught there until 2006 and achieved the rank of full professor.[7]
In 2004, he served as a visiting professor at Northwest University in Xi’an, China.
In 2013, he joined the University of Washington Bothell as an affiliate professor in the School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM).[8]
At UW Bothell, Folsom directs student teams in the development of autonomous electric tricycles, vehicles that combine aspects of micromobility and automation.[9] His project began in his garage and grew into a multi-year research and development effort supported by an Amazon Catalyst Grant of $75,000 in 2016.[10]
Research
Folsom's work centers on the convergence of micromobility, vehicle automation, and personal rapid transit, with the goal of creating environmentally sustainable transportation options.[11] Through the Elcano Project and its associated repositories on GitHub, he promotes open-source collaboration on autonomous vehicle design.[12]
His research emphasizes ultra-low energy consumption, seeking to achieve the equivalent of 1,000 to 2,000 miles per gallon of gasoline through lightweight design and low-speed operation.[11]
He has presented his ideas at international conferences including IEEE SusTech (2024),[13] Mobility Innovation Week Japan (Nagoya, 2024),[14] and EAI Future Transport 2025.
Folsom co-founded Cogneta Inc., a company dedicated to commercializing automated vehicle technology, and established Micro-AV Social Purpose Corporation, focused on developing small autonomous transport solutions for urban areas.[15]
Folsom is the author of Goddess at the Helm: Technology Taking Us Where Activists Wanted (2017), a book examining the social and ethical implications of technological progress.[16]