Award Data

Poor air quality represents a major public health risk, contributing to an estimated one of every eight deaths worldwide. Low-cost air quality sensors have developed rapidly over the last few years and offer the opportunity to make air quality monitoring widespread at an affordable price. However, low-cost sensors are currently unable to deliver accurate, reliable data due to a lack of understandi ...

Triton Systems, Inc. proposes development of the Open-Source Oceanographic Asset Recovery Beacon (OpenORB) that will allow the deployment of coastal instrumentation moorings with affordable protection against loss. This open-source kit would significantly reduce the purchase price of a commercial location beacon by allowing the end-user to assemble a customized system with minimal time and effort. ...

Current access to and analysis of the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) dataset requires significant time and technical skill. Data analysis tools are often general-purpose, designed to support the analysis of any dataset, and do not easily support the types of questions many transportation and safety engineers ask of the FARS data. Visualizations can help users understand relationships betwe ...

In Phase II, ZKxKZ designed, developed and demonstrated an approach for fabrication and rapid installation of low cost modular mini-roundabouts made from recycled plastic boards. Phase II culminated in the installation of one full modular mini-roundabout in both Georgia and Virginia. In addition, 3 modular mini-roundabouts were commercially sold and installed in Canada prior to the SBIR funded sit ...

In Phase I, we developed a prototype instrument for counting, sizing and identifying both non-toxic and toxic Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) species. We did this by integrating three innovative technologies: High-throughput color, Light Field Imaging Flow Cytometry to acquire morphological information for each cell, Raman spectroscopy to acquire species-specific molecular information on pigments and tr ...

Laser Technology Inc. (LTI) proposes a Phase II SBIR research project to further develop a Compact Shearography System, Analysis Method and Software for micro-crack detection in concrete. There is an urgent need to detect and characterize fine cracks in concrete that form because of various damage mechanisms including alkali-silicate reaction, delayed ettringite formation or frost damage. Fine s ...

Railroad freight car safety and maintenance cost is directly related to knowledge of the actual braking force provided by a brake shoe. If the brake force is too low, safety is at risk. If the brake shoe is replaced before the end of it's lifetime to ensure safety, maintenance and thus operating costs are increased. Currently there is no system in place to monitor brake shoe force during train ...

Development of the basic EMAT based transverse rail defect detector has progressed toward finished form, as envisioned in the original solicitation. This modification is intended to produce a demonstratable version of a 2-rail detection system with automated signal interpertation. The objectives of this work are to: a. Further develop the system into a functioning 2-rail detection system, as ori ...