Award Data

Demonstration of Image-Based Change Detection using a Prototype Drone-Based Track Safety Inspection 3/16/2018 Today’s prevailing methods of visual track inspection tend to be expensive, disruptive to operations, and have potential to be less thorough than preferred. Machine vision technology emerged in the rail sector over a decade ago to help alleviate these concerns; however, due to the un ...

Deep Learning-based Vehicle Tracking with Multiple Sensors 3/19/2018 The DOT is seeking an integrated unit that is capable of identifying and tracking individual vehicles with high accuracy using multiple vehicle detection inputs, including video images, radar-based detection, and wireless signal inputs (including DSRC, cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals), with a deep learning-based engine ...

Digital Twins for Bridge Management through the Integrating of Computer Vision and Finite Element Models 3/19/2018 We propose the development of an innovative integrated solution for health monitoring of bridge structures using a non-contact image-based measurement methodology. High-resolution and regular camera systems will be used to capture the bridge movements and the traffic passing the b ...

Combined Cleaning and Guided Wave Inspection System for Hazardous Liquid Pipelines 3/20/2018 For this SBIR we will develop a machine vision system which uses onboard standard-resolution cameras in vehicles to identify and read barcode signs on the roadside. The proposed approach could provide a low-cost solution that make connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology viable for rural areas ...

Proposal title: Rapid Assessment of Air Void System in Fresh Concrete Water expansion during freeze-thaw cycles can cause deterioration in concrete, leading to scaling, cracking, and crumbling over a period of years. Resistance to this damage is achieved with a system of voids formed by adding surfactants to the fresh concrete to stabilize air bubbles naturally entrained during mixing. The volume ...

Proposal title: Broken Rail Detection from Flashing Rear End Device Broken rails are a common cause of mainline derailments and a particular concern given the increasing use of our rail system for passenger traffic and petroleum products. The progressive nature of the defects provides an opportunity for early detection of cracks before they become significant enough to cause a derailment. Unfortu ...

Proposal title: Rapid Assessment of Air Void in System in Fresh Concrete Air void parameters such as specific surface (SS) and spacing factor (SF) are essential in evaluating Freeze-Thaw (F-T) durability in fresh concrete. We have demonstrated the feasibility and viability of using an acoustic method to measure in near real time air void distributions in fresh concrete, the proposed solution is b ...

Proposal title: Detection of THC Use in Drivers The overall objective of this program is to develop a portable, cost-effective and non-invasive sensor device for near real-time salivary THC detection to be used at roadside in drivers. This will eliminate the need for expensive and time-consuming analytical techniques which have a turn-around time of several days. During the Phase I program Giner ...

Proposal title: A Robust Railway Track Crack Detection System Using Thermal Signatures In Phase I, we developed a practical sensor platform suitable for mounting on the back of train. A large amount of IR images associated with rail tracks were collected on an MBTA train. Algorithms were developed to identify both right and left tracks from a moving train. To help detect track cracks, we develope ...

Proposal title: Detection of THC Use in Drivers The intoxicating effects of marijuana are of concern to the law enforcement community as well as to the general manufacturing, service and commerce community where employees may need to be screened for intoxication. A reliable method to quantitatively measure the amount of the intoxicating agent delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in suspected marij ...