I-Corps: Self-powered, Low-Cost Smart Traffic Detection and Warning System

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是发展交通监控系统，通过挽救十字路口的生命，可能产生巨大的经济影响。州政府和市政府的交通工程师将受益于将传感技术与收集到的数据相结合，以改进十字路口的设计，调整标志和接近速度。该技术还将提供可用于事后检查和交通分析的实时数据。该系统的影响可能会使农村社区受益，因为驾驶员对主动标志的认识提高了，从而减少了撞车事故和死亡人数。此外，能源部门可能会受益，因为可再生能源将用于激活这些低成本的传感器，使它们能够独立于公用事业电网运行。该系统可能会影响其他领域/应用，例如改善行人交通以及铁路交叉路口的安全。目标是确定潜在客户，包括政府机构，如交通部工程师、城市公共工程主管、顾问和行业，以使系统适应各种行业和用例。这个I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种自供电和低成本的主动交通监控系统，该系统用于无信号交叉口，以警告交通控制设备的车辆。该系统采用一个水平视角的多像素被动红外传感检测模块，检测过往车辆，估计双车道双向道路的交通参数，并提供主动标志，提醒驾驶人潜在的危险。该检测模块被设计为一种非路面系统，可以快速、轻松地安装在已有的基础设施上，而不会妨碍交通。该传感器功耗低，视野大，能够收集广泛的数据，同时保护驾驶者的隐私。已经开发了多种新颖的算法集，使这种类型的传感器能够检测交通，计算速度，根据热特征确定过往车辆的分类，并发送警告传输。预警模块激活交通控制装置一段动态时间，该动态时间由计算出的车辆速度确定。该项目的目标是更好地了解客户的需求和要求，以实现商业化。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a traffic monitoring system that may have a great economic impact by saving lives at intersections. The state and municipalities transportation engineers will benefit from integrating the sensing technology with the data collected in order to improve intersection design and adjust signage and approaching speeds. The technology also will provide real-time data that may be used in post-event inspection and traffic analysis. The impact of this system may benefit rural communities by reducing crashes and fatalities as a result of improved driver awareness of active signage. In addition, the energy sector may benefit since renewable energy will be used to activate these low cost sensors allowing them to function independent of the utility grid. The system may impact other areas/applications, such as improving pedestrian traffic as well as the safety of railroad intersections. The goal is to identify potential customers, including government agencies such as Department of Transportation engineers, city public works directors, consultants, and industries to make the system adaptable across a variety of industries and use cases.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a self-powered and low-cost active traffic monitoring system to be used at unsignalized intersections to warn vehicles of traffic control devices. This system uses one multi-pixel passive infrared sensing detection module with a horizontal viewing angle to detect passing vehicles and estimate the traffic parameters of a two-lane, two-way roadway, and then provide active signage to alert the motorist of potential dangers. The detection module is designed to be an off-pavement system that is quickly and easily installed on pre-existing infrastructure without impeding traffic. The sensor consumes low power, has a large field of view, and is able to collect a wide range of data while protecting the privacy of the motorist. Multiple novel sets of algorithms have been developed to enable this type of sensor to detect traffic, calculate velocity, determine the classification of passing vehicles by their thermal signatures, and send a warning transmission. The warning module activates the traffic control device for a dynamic period of time that is determined using the calculated velocity of the vehicle. The goal of this project is to achieve a better understanding of the customer needs and requirements to achieve commercialization.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.