Call it a mid-sized cities “throwdown.” The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) this week announced its $40 million Smart City Challenge, a competition targeting mid-size American cities. The objective is to increase the use of technology to improve the way transportation systems move people and products. Rather than have federal transportation experts try to determine […]
When making a list of frightening possibilities, one could easily overlook aging bridges, dams, pipelines and roads that are no longer safe. People rarely worry about a bridge collapsing or a dam breaking, but events such as these are becoming all too common. In fact, October’s heavy rains and flooding in South Carolina caused the […]
If you heard students and teachers complaining about the heat earlier this year…they’ve had good reason. Although winter has arrived in most of the country, providing a respite from the heat, the nation endured the hottest year on record. In October alone, the hottest temperatures in 136 years were recorded. Students and teachers in hot, […]
Just a few years ago, the notion of autonomous vehicles would have caused people to chuckle. Not so anymore! Driverless cars are the future. Google and Lexus have already released prototypes and the competition between manufacturers is keen. In fact, seven companies have announced plans for autonomous vehicles. The market is moving so rapidly that […]
Sensor technology will soon reach into all facets of life from airports to water lines For Texans who have not focused on sensor technology … it’s time! There is no time to waste. This is a huge marketplace – one that is growing at breakneck speed. The market for sensor technology is projected to exceed $20 […]
We’re here – right in the middle of the Internet of Things (IoT)! Environmental sensing … 3-D printing … genetic engineering … smart houses … self-driving cars … wearable technology … regeneration of body parts … sustainable agriculture methods … big data with the capability to analyze anything and everything. It’s a world that few, if any, would […]
Cities have huge issues related to transportation – massive traffic congestion, necessary road expansions, too few sidewalks for pedestrians, inadequate bike lanes, safety issues and poor air quality caused by idling vehicles. Solutions are hard to come by and big changes are emerging in highway planning. Transportation planners are rethinking how roads should be designed […]