You are here

Low Ground Clearance Vehicle Detection and Warning System

Award Information
Agency: Department of Transportation
Branch: N/A
Contract: DTRT5714C10028
Agency Tracking Number: 131FR1009II
Amount: $749,769.02
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: 131FR1
Solicitation Number: DTRT5713RSBIR1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2013
Award Year: 2014
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2014-07-31
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2016-07-29
Small Business Information
6650 Eli Whitney Drive suite 400
Columbia, MD 21046-1001
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Tom Zhao
 V.P. and Head of Robotics & Control Sys.
 (443) 766-7978
 TZhao@ATRCorp.com
Business Contact
 Eric Rees
Title: COO & CFO
Phone: (443) 766-7860
Email: ERees@ATRCorp.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

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, ATR developed a conceptual design for a Low Ground Clearance Vehicle Detection System (LGCVDS) to actively prevent such accidents. The LGCVDS functions by measuring vehicles on approach to the crossing, detecting those with insufficient ground clearance, and triggering wayside active warning indicators to alert the driver with sufficient time and distance to stop. Phase II presents the opportunity to evolve the LGCVDS concept and demonstrate it as an effective and reliable system. To successfully monitor and protect vehicles at real‐world grade crossings, the system needs to handle a wide range of vehicle types and speeds. It must be robust to adverse visibility conditions including heavy snow, rain, fog, or darkness. The keys to a deployable system will be the selection of a reliable and capable sensor and the implementation of more advanced tracking and profiling algorithms to process sensor data. Testing a completed demo system with diverse vehicles and environmental conditions will be important for quantifying system reliability.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government