Award Data

Air parameters such as specific surface (SS) and spacing factor (SF) are essential in evaluating Freeze-Thaw (F-T) durability in fresh concrete. Currently there is no method or device that can accurately meet such requirements. We propose to develop an acoustic air void measurement system that can be used in the field to measure in near real time air void distributions in fresh concrete. The propo ...

The service life of the wood ties has been diminishing with increased axle loads with higher rail car speeds and frequencies. The depletion of wood and creosote induced contamination are of great environmental concerns. It is of a substantial interest to develop an effective recycling/remanufacturing methodology for creosote-treated wood ties. A composite wood tie design is proposed here, with use ...

The identification of high-value and high-impact secondary applications for retired lithium-ion batteries is critical as the number of electric vehicles on the road continues to increase. During the Phase I DOT SBIR program NanoSonic will evaluate second-use application concepts for retired vehicular lithium-ion batteries in economically valuable, second-use sectors of transportation. We are partn ...

Highway-rail grade crossings, at which there is an abrupt change in the level of the road surface as it crosses the tracks, present a severe hang-up risk to vehicles with low ground clearance. In Phase I and II, ATR developed a conceptual design for a Low Ground Clearance Vehicle Detection System (LGCVDS) to actively prevent such accidents. The LGCVDS is able to use a priori crossing profile data ...

Benten Technologies proposes to develop a back-end schema-less, open source, cloud-based database with front-end browser-based, cross-platform JavaScript model library to support locomotive inspection data collection. TRAIN will allow for the logging of inspection data for all types of locomotives including steam, diesel, diesel-electric, and electric locomotives by railroad and locomotive manufac ...

To address FRA’s requirements of measuring rail vehicle suspension displacement and integrating this into existing accelerometer-based ride quality systems, dFuzion proposes the development of a comprehensive Ride Performance Assessment System (RPAS). RPAS will leverage the investment and research already made by FRA in its sponsored portable ride quality meter. By extending the ride quality dat ...

This SBIR proposal presents a robust and cost-effective pedestrian and cyclist detection and collision warning system for transit buses. It uses inexpensive but robust sensors and incorporates state-of-the-art object detection techniques to enable effective pedestrian and cyclist detection near transit buses in different environmental conditions. The proposed collision warning system exploits meas ...

Technological Enhancements to Improve and Expand Casual Carpooling in New Corridors 12/05/2016 The overall goal of Phase II of this SBIR project is to demonstrate a working prototype of one or more tools and/or approaches that catalyze casual carpooling in a corridor where it does not exist or to improve casual carpooling in a corridor where it is present but underperforming. Phase II will provi ...

In this Phase I effort, PEMDAS Technologies and Innovations, in collaboration with Aerovel, Inc., proposes to assess the feasibility of developing a multi-mission, transdisciplinary manned aerial platform, capable of fulfilling NOAA’s requirement to survey, map and collect on our nation’s natural ecosystems. Combining Aerovel’s experience in UAS development with PEMDAS’ atmospheric sensor ...

Metron proposes a software framework for crowd-sourcing weather observations in a maritime environment leveraging personal mobile devices. Our proposed App, the Mariner’s Report App (MARApp), draws data from existing sensors in modern smartphones and tablets, as well as meteorological sensors normally found on small marine vessels. Our architecture is modular, extensible, and readily adaptable t ...