When Cindy Heredia was choosing an MBA program, she knew she wanted to be at the forefront of the autonomous driving industry. While she was researching, she discovered that MIT had a unique offering: a driverless computer run by students. Heredia applied to MIT to join the team, hoping to gain hands-on experience.
“My hope is that we can find ways to take advantage of tools and technologies, like autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing, and take advantage of the variety of modes available to serve vulnerable populations that have traditionally been underserved by existing options,” shares Heredia. . .
At age 8, Heredia was immersed in cars, repairing car radios to help support her family. Growing up in the low-income neighborhood of Laredo, Texas, Heredia understood mobility as a necessary resource for greater access to employment, education, and opportunities earlier in life. Her family’s only car was constantly used for work, making it difficult for them to meet essential needs like going to the doctor. As she got older, she saw that her friends were unable to take advantage of job opportunities due to long bus rides that took hours.
Getting accepted to MIT and joining the Driverless team was her first step in repairing transportation disparities. Under the auspices of the MIT Edgerton Center, WITH without driver develops its own artificial intelligence software to compete in autonomous driving competitions. Leveraging talent and resources, Driverless partnered with the University of Pittsburgh, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the University of Waterloo, Canada, to form MIT-PITT-RW and compete in the Indy Autonomous Challenge.
In the winter of 2021, Heredia became co-captain of the team. This has not always been easy. At the Indy Autonomous Challenge in November, MIT-PITT-RW was the only completely student-led team out of nine teams. “There have been many ‘no’s’ that our team has received,” shares Heredia. “We’ve been told that a student-run team shouldn’t even be on the grid. We had a devastating accident two days before a race (which we luckily came back from!). We have seen companions go. We have had personal life events. But we have always been able to overcome everything and come out strong. Nothing has ever brought us down.”
An epic accident while practicing for the 2023 Indy Autonomous Challenge
Developing reliable decision-making algorithms is challenging due to the possibility of misinterpretation of sensor data, which could lead to collisions. Additionally, when traveling at speeds in excess of 150 mph, the demand for quick decision making intensifies, driving teams to continually improve their technology stack. Teams like MIT-PITT-RW are pushing the limits by testing novel algorithms at speeds deemed too dangerous for conventional roads, driving advances across the field.
Despite these challenges, in January, MIT-PITT-RW achieved a new speed record of 152 mph during time trials (competing for fastest lap time) at the Indy Autonomous Challenge and placed fourth in the overall competition for first time. They also hit another team record of 154 mph while passing another car.
Now, as she prepares to graduate with her MBA, Heredia reflects on how to lead the team and emphasizes the importance of building trust among team members: “This is very much a people role. You have to be able to work with all the different types of personalities. Understanding how to manage your team is very important, and I think that starts with building trust with them first. I’ve learned that the best way to do that is to not ask anyone for anything that you wouldn’t ask of yourself. It’s one thing to tell your team, ‘You’re important to me and I’m here for you.’ It’s another thing to prove that repeatedly with your actions.”
Heredia encourages other women of color to take leadership positions in the autonomous vehicle industry. “You will have to expose yourself, make yourself seen and never hide. If you’re invited into a room, you have to remind yourself that you deserve to be in that room.” She believes that there is more support available than you think. “There are a surprising number of women of color in leadership roles at self-managed companies, and I am grateful to call some of them my mentors.”
Heredia says that anyone entering this field must be prepared for a lot of failure. “There are times when you can try to listen as much as you can and make a decision, but it may not be the right one. A project like this carries a lot of risk, and having the peace of mind that it will sometimes fail is essential. And that’s fine. You will learn more when you go through some of your toughest times. So you reflect, turn and move on. So my advice would be to go in with the mindset that this is a learning experience. And use it to help people believe in what’s possible by sharing what you’ve learned along the way.”
While many people predict the end of personal vehicle ownership with the advent of autonomous vehicles, Heredia believes it will be a slow and gradual process. She plans to pursue a career in the autonomous driving industry, recognizing the significant challenges it presents. In the future, she hopes that we can also use these technologies for social good and bring them to communities like the one she grew up in. “It’s an incredibly interesting problem that, I think, still has a long way to go.” ).”
