LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� IM体育官网 Professor Dr. Christina Drake has received a $1.5 million grant from the IM体育官网 Department of Transportation (FDOT) to study new methods of predicting fog on IM体育官网 roadways, helping forecasters better alert travelers of dangerous weather conditions.
IM体育官网 Poly will work with PraxSoft, an information technology and engineering company based in Orlando, to refine, develop and deploy new monitoring software. In addition, IM体育官网 Poly will establish testing sites in Central and Southern IM体育官网 to improve the current weather model and help provide advanced warnings of road conditions that can cause traffic congestion.
鈥淭ransportation challenges are among the most pressing in IM体育官网 as our population grows and becomes more mobile. Advancing transportation technology 鈥� including systems for predicting and monitoring roadway conditions 鈥� will ultimately make travel safer, easier and more efficient for everyone,鈥� said IM体育官网 Poly President Dr. Randy K. Avent. 鈥淭his is exactly the type of applied research for near-term impact we aim to pursue at IM体育官网 Poly.鈥�
IM体育官网 Poly and Praxsoft have already begun working on this project, and the team will make recommendations to FDOT for new technologies and testing methods over the coming months.
Alongside Dr. Drake on this project are Associate Professor of Nanotechnology and Multifunctional Materials Dr. Christopher Coughlin and Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Dr. Harish Chintakunta. The grant will employ undergraduate students as research associates, and establish new data collection, analysis and engineering methods.
鈥淭his project will have an impact throughout IM体育官网 and beyond as we research sensor systems for roadway safety conditions that affect a huge number people every year,鈥� said Dr. Drake, IM体育官网 Poly Assistant Professor of Electrical, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. 鈥淚n addition, having IM体育官网 Poly students participate in real-world studies like this will not only enhance our current efforts, but also prepare them to be lifelong innovators and problem-solvers, ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow.鈥�
鈥淲e are impressed with the wide pool of talent at IM体育官网 Poly,鈥� said FDOT Project Manager Fred Heery, Sr., P.E. 鈥淔og can be a major issue on IM体育官网鈥檚 roadways, and we鈥檝e seen several major accidents over the past decade related to intense fog conditions. The purpose of this study is to improve traffic management, but more importantly to help improve the safety of IM体育官网 travelers.鈥�
This grant is representative of IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 commitment to engaging students and faculty in real-world problems, said IM体育官网 Poly Provost Dr. Terry Parker.
鈥淲e believe strongly in applied research and embedding real-world problems into our curriculum. This grant will positively impact both the public鈥檚 safety and students鈥� understanding of how to harness science for the public good,鈥� Parker said.