The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, administered by Volpe, recently released its full list of round-one 2014 proposals that will receive funding.

The first solicitation for fiscal year 2014 contained research topic descriptions from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Topic Descriptions and Awardees

The Development of Prestressed Concrete Nondestructive Evaluation Inspection Procedures (FHWA)

Existing bridges with prestressed concrete are difficult to inspect using nondestructive techniques. FHWA is seeking new and improved methods, techniques, and technologies to efficiently and effectively inspect prestressed concrete.

• Awardee and Proposal Title:
  • FDH Engineering, Inc. Data Fusion Approach for the Effective Inspection of Prestressed Concrete

Personalized Driving Data for Insurance Discounts & Public Benefits (FHWA)

Car insurance rates based on actual risk exposure could improve safety, reduce energy use, and lessen crash-caused congestion. Insurance products that use observed exposure data could lead to substantial public and private benefits. There is a desire to create a marketplace that would enable consumers to collect and share their own driving data.

• Awardees and Proposal Titles:
  • AGNIK, LLC. Collective Incentives for Usage-Based Insurance: A Game Theoretic Framework for Personal and Commercial Line Incentive-Mechanism Design
  •  Vehicle Data Science Corporation. Coordinated Data and Scoring for Usage Based Insurance

Suppressing Utility Problems – Protection via Robotic Engineering to the Sub-Surface (FHWA)

Relocating overhead utilities below the ground reduces hazards, improves the aesthetics of the roadway and adjoining properties, and can increase the reliability of the utilities. Robotic technologies may offer a promising and cost-effective solution to the dilemma of relocating overhead utilities.

• Awardees and Proposal Titles:
  • Intelligent Automation, Inc. Robotic Utility Mapping and Installation System 
  • White River Technologies Inc. Integrated Tracking and Guidance  System for Trenchless Utility Relocation

STEM Education – Increasing Awareness about Intelligent Transportation Systems and Connected Vehicle Technologies for High School Students (FHWA)

Nearly 60 percent of the nation's students who begin high school interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) change their minds by graduation. This topic is designed to attract and keep middle and high school students interested in STEM education by linking their class work to well-paying jobs in intelligent transportation systems.

• Awardee and Proposal Title:
  • NanoSonic, Inc. Development of Middle School and High School STEM Programs in ITS and CV Technologies

Visually Unobtrusive Traffic Monitoring for National Park Service Parkways (FHWA)

The National Park Service (NPS) is interested in unobtrusive traffic monitoring devices to assess vehicular flow on parkways. The devices being sought, which would be monitored by both FHWA and NPS personnel, will need to be low profile and of minimal impact to the natural surrounding.

• Awardees and Proposal Titles:
  • Intelligent Automation, Inc. Low Profile Microwave Radar and WiFi Sensors for Visually Unobstructive Vehicle Detection and Travel Time Monitoring
  • Sensys Networks, Inc. Sensys Unobtrusive Monitoring Systems

Corrosion Resistant Prestressing Strand for Prestressed Concrete Bridges (FHWA)

Epoxy-coated strand performs somewhat better than stainless-clad and stainless steel for prestressed concrete bridges. FHWA wishes to identify the feasibility of alternate metallic seven-wire strands, including epoxy-coated, copper and stainless clad, stainless steel, and other types of alloys.

• Awardees and Proposal Titles:
  • CAP Technologies, LLC. Development of Corrosion Resistant Prestressed Concrete Strands Utilizing Liquid Plasma Technology
  • Metna Co. Corrosion Resistant Prestressing Strand for Prestressed Concrete Bridges

Lightweight, Portable System for Mid-Chord Offset Measurement of Railroad Rails (FRA)

A common measurement for quantifying aspects of railroad track geometry is the mid-chord offset (MCO). This topic is focused on the development of a compact, portable mid-chord offset rail measurement system to overcome the difficulties of longer chord length string line measurements.

• Awardees and Proposal Titles:
  • En'Urga, Inc. A Low Cost Sensor for Mid-Chord Offset Measurements
  • Technical Products, Inc. Mid-Chord Rail Offset Measurement Systems

Easy Access to Freight Locomotives (FRA)

Engineers, conductors, and brakemen enter and exit from freight locomotives several times per trip, often when the locomotive is moving at slow speeds. Slips and falls are a risk. Proposals were sought on ways to improve access to the locomotive while reducing the risk of slips and falls.

• Awardee and Proposal Title:
  • GS Engineering, Inc. Easy Access to Freight Locomotives

Second Fiscal Year 2014 SBIR Solicitation Information

The second fiscal year 2014 solicitation will be released on July 14, 2014, and will close on September 15, 2014. U.S. DOT will host a public webinar on July 29, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. (ET) with more information about the solicitation process. Sign-up information for the webinar will be posted on the SBIR web page.

If you would like to be notified with more information on the second solicitation and webinar when it is available, please sign up for our email list, which can be found at the bottom of the SBIR web page.