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In his award-winning paper, U.S. DOT Volpe Center engineer Seamus McGovern applied traditional flight testing techniques and principles for aircraft designs to fixed-wing and rotary-style drone designs.
For 10 days in late March, Volpe engineers provided hands-on software and hardware expertise to African naval personnel from four nations as part of the U.S. Navy’s Obangame Express. Obangame is an at-sea maritime exercise that focuses on techniques that can increase maritime safety and security...
Meet ALIAS, the robot co-pilot that can help fly a plane. ALIAS, which was developed under contract by an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, was recently tested on Volpe’s Boeing 737 simulator to see how it would react if a human pilot lost consciousness mid-flight during a simulated loss...
On March 21, the U.S. DOT SBIR program announced 15 recommendations for awards for SBIR’s fiscal year 17.1 solicitation. The awarded small businesses competed in a field that included 106 proposals for 9 research topics. The selected small businesses are conducting important research, leading to...
The rapid evolution of electronic control and connectivity in motor vehicles has multiplied challenges for vehicle safety assurance. NHTSA turned to Volpe’s nationally recognized advanced vehicle technology team to assess the safety and reliability of emerging electronic control systems.
When a car hits a pedestrian, the pedestrian takes the full brunt of the severe and sometimes fatal injuries. Vehicle-to-pedestrian communications can help avoid impacts or reduce the consequences when light vehicles collide with pedestrians.
If a 747 jumbo jet crashed anywhere in America, it would be in the national news for months. Yet in 2015, there were 35,092 lives lost on America’s roads—equivalent to a 747 crashing every week for a whole year.
Each year, Volpe collaborates with the U.S. Department of Transportation, other federal agencies, and the broader transportation community on hundreds of projects that shape how people and goods move throughout the U.S. and abroad. Our Annual Accomplishments report highlights some of Volpe’s...
The 2016 Innovation Challenge winning team, Beyond Bike/Ped Assessment, won for their unique approach for gathering information about pedestrian and bicyclist experiences using streets and public spaces.
Through U.S. DOT’s SBIR program, Mainstream Engineering Corporation developed a free vehicle-monitoring app that performs trip diagnostics that could lead to major money-saving alterations for drivers and motor carriers. Small businesses can apply for SBIR funding through the current...