Principal investigator: Jackie Dziadosz
University: Bucknell University
Industry partners: Royal Truck & Equipment Inc.
This project will develop a prototype for an innovative Automated Cone Placement and Retrieval Device, specifically for use in large construction zones. The device is aimed at making it safer and more efficient to establish an dismantle work zones by automating where traffic cones are replaced and how they are retrieved, minimizing the manual labor and making the operators safer. Bucknell and Royal Truck and Equipment will collaborate to research, design, and build a proof of concept model. This collaborative effort will enhance Royal Truck’s capabilities in vehicular automation, improving the company’s competitive advantage in an increasingly automated future.
Construction companies currently face critical safety challenges when establishing and breaking down work zones on highways. When initially establishing the work zone to create a safe environment, traffic control crews or traffic control companies must manually deploy traffic cones or other delineators. Conversely, when the work zone is dismantled, crews must manually retrieve these traffic control measures while working from the back of a truck, exposing them to significant risks, including harm from passing vehicles. This pressing safety concern requires an innovative solution, and we show the existing solution below.