About µ-AV
Tyler Folsom, PhD
FounderFOUNDER, Micro-AV SPC
Dr. Tyler Folsom founded Micro-AV in June 2020 for the purpose of moving people and goods with minimal energy. The company focuses on applying vehicle automation technology to micro-mobility. Dr. Folsom’s Ph.D. from the University of Washington is in Electrical Engineering. He holds a MA in Mathematics from the University of Maryland. At Quest Integrated, he was PI for SBIRs from NSF, U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army and has taken a project to Phases II, II+ and commercialization. He participated in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge races for autonomous vehicles. He co-founded Cogneta Inc. to commercialize driverless vehicles in 2007, but the effort was premature. He then started the open-source Elcano Project to make automated vehicles accessible to students. Prof. Folsom was hired part-time by the Bothell campus of the University of Washington where he teaches classes on Embedded Systems and Autonomous Vehicles, as well as supervising more than 70 students on research projects.
There are several open-source automated driving software systems available, which range from controlling hobbyist scale models to full-sized automobiles. Micro-AV builds the electronics that enable these systems to be transparently applied to a scale model, simulated vehicle, electric tricycle, or automobile.
Micro-AV SPC
Follow us on Social MediaSocial Purpose
The Corporation shall be organized and operated as a social purpose corporation, to the greatest extent permitted a business corporation formed under the Act [23B RCW]. In pursuing any business, trade, or activity which may be conducted lawfully by a Corporation organized under the Act, the Corporation shall promote positive short-term or long-term effects—or otherwise minimize adverse short-term or long-term effects—on the Corporation’s (1) local, state, national, or world community; (2)employees, suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders; (3) the environment and climate change; and (4) shall promote transportation technologies that move people and goods with minimal energy; and (5) shall include creating a material positive impact on society and the environment, taken as a whole, from the business and operations of the Corporation (the “Social Purposes”), together with the short-term and long-term interests of the Corporation and its shareholders.
The mission of this social purpose corporation is not necessarily compatible with, and may be contrary to, maximizing profits and earnings for shareholders, or maximizing shareholder value in any sale, merger, acquisition, or other similar actions of the Corporation.