Principal investigator: Suarez, John
University: Widener University
Industry partners: Dorman Products
This project builds upon work in progress at Widener to design, prototype, and rigorously test a precision sensor for detecting non uniformities in a roadway, ahead of a moving vehicle. Dorman intends to manufacture and market this sensor as an aftermarket product. The scope of the project will go beyond the development of a working engineering prototype. We aim to develop sensor electronics that meet the requirements of Donnan and its customers: it must be fully scalable, reproducible, and suitable for mass-manufacture. The sensor must collect road-surface darn quickly. so that drivers will be notified of potholes with sufficient reaction time. The sensor must also be compact and resilient to the high-temperature environment typically found under the hood of an automobile. The sensor will be tested on heavily-traveled urban roadways throughout the State, such as those in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg.