A partnership

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A partnership
Advanced Highway Maintenance and Construction
Technology Research Center
AHMCT is a project-oriented research center on
the campus of UC Davis. We make concept vehicles
and equipment for the California Department of
Transportation. We feel that safety and
efficiency are related.
A partnership between the University of
California Davis and the California Department
of Transportation
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Mechatronics
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Assistance Inspection Other
Today's drink from the fire hose....
MECHATRONICS Thanks to advances in computers,
motors, power supplies, sensors, human
interfaces, GPS, GIS, communications, databases,
and materials, everything that lifts, shoves, and
moves can now be dramatically improved. We
believe that over the next five years,
irresistable technology and creative workers in
the field will drive safety and efficiency
innovations that will transform highway
maintenance and construction operations.
WZ KEEP IN VEHICLE AHMCT Longitudinal Crack
Sealer Random Crack Sealer Debris Vacuum
Machine Debris Removal Vehicle Driver
Assistance Snow Plow Driver Assistance Snow
Blower Pavement Sign Painter Rolling Wheel
Deflectometer OTHER Driver assistance paint
striping Mower on an arm General purpose
shoving blade General purpose grappler WZ LANE
MAKERS AHMCT Cone Machine OTHER Robotic traffic
cones Traffic mega-machine Light-duty cone
popper WZ WORKER ASSISTANCE AHMCT Omni-direction
al assist OTHER Utility machine
WZ HARD PROTECTION Moveable k-rails Crushable
k-rails WZ WARNING Intrusion alarms Radio
interrupt systems Better backup alarms WZ NIGHT
WORK Glare-free light for workzones TEST AND
MEASUREMENT Rolling wheel deflectometer Pebbles
and motes Flying robot Marker and stripe
reflectivity
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AHMCT on KGO Evening News
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We develop and deploy highway technology that
saves lives and reduces costs.
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Cone Placement
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The AHMCT Cone Shooter can automatically lay down
cones at regular intervals and then pick them up
again later. A single operator can safely and
quickly open and close busy lanes.
Soon to be commercially available from Clean
Earth Environmental Group -- www.cleanearthllc.com
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Cone Placement
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Fully automated cone placement requires materials
handling, place-and-pick mechanisms, and systems
integration.
On an interim basis, Caltrans is building trucks
that feed cones to a seated operator, but do not
place or pick.
Industrial Automation Supply is building trucks
that place and pick, but do not handle.
http//www.ias-supply.com/
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Cone Placement
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In the near future, cones will place themselves
and follow vehicles down the road. http//robots.u
nl.edu
In the meantime, Susan Babic's WS DOT crew goes
out with (much) more than just cones
crash-barrels, signs, flashers, flares, and
everything else you can think of. mackeys_at_wsdot.wa
.gov
Worldwide Safety believes that everyone should
carry cones ... especially utility vehicles that
mark lanes on city streets. www.worldwide-safety.c
om
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Longitudinal Crack Sealing
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The AHMCT Longitudinal Crack Sealing Machine
automates the sealing of relatively continuous
longitudinal cracks, such as those between a
concrete lane and asphalt shoulders.
Currently being enhanced per results of field
trials. Caltrans Equipment Shop will build for
deployment.
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Random Crack Sealing
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Assistance Inspection Other
The AHMCT Random Crack Sealer transforms pavement
sealing into a simple computer point and click
process.
Currently being road tested.
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Debris Vacuum
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Assistance Inspection Other
Using a joystick control from within a cab, you
can vacuum behind guard rails, down into
depressions, and under bushes.
Commercially available from Clean Earth
Environmental Group www.cleanearthllc.com
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Debris Removal
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The Debris Removal Vehicle can pick up several
tires or up to 8 litter bags at one time.
Now being fitted with a new arm.
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RoadView Snowplow
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Features location sensors, position prediction,
obstacle detection, and advanced interface.
Popular with drivers. Soon GPS based location
system for non-mountain use.
RoadView has been in use for four years on Donner
Pass. Currently three are in use.
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Rotary Snow Blower
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Assistance Inspection Other
A driver assistance, rotary snow blower is under
development.
It will have automated steering, obstacle
detection, and collision warning systems. It will
use a GPS/GIS system for driver information.
We hope soon to use the blower to open passes.
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In development Worker Assistance Tools
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AHMCT is now working on a omni-directional,
worker assistance device for lifting and handling
of materials in a work zone. Also under
consideration are systems for installing guard
rails and moving litter and brush on uneven
terrain.
Sooner-than-you-think molecular muscles and
exoskeletons.
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Now available Worker Assistance Tools
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Tools adapted from landscaping are already
available. For example, Toro has a small,
walk-behind-or-ride-on worker assistance machine.
Basically, it is a mobile delivery system for
3000 psi of hydraulic pressure.
Toro, as demonstrated at WS DOT's Pacific
Northwest Transportation Technology Expo.
About 16 of all injuries are due to lifting.
Half of all maintenance injuries involve
landscaping.
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In development Test and Measurement
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Pavement Inspection Currently, falling weight
deflectometers are used to evaluate the
structural integrity of pavements. Using
materials inspection technology, AHMCT is now
developing plans for a simple, robust,
inexpensive Rolling Wheel Deflectometer.
Rolling Wheel Deflectometer
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In development Test and Measurement
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Bridge Inspection Here's three very different
approaches to bridge inspection. Embedding
sensors Smart Pebbles will be field tested this
year. Fly-by inspections An Aerial Robot will
be tried next year. Sensors thrown onto a surface
Smart Motes are being fast-tracked because of
their military applications.
Smart Pebbles SRI and Caltrans.
Aerial robot Moller and AHMCT.
Motes UC Berkeley and DARPA.
For more information about Caltrans Research
www.dot.ca.gov/hq/newtech/research
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Ideas Test and Measurement
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Pavement marker and striping reflectivity
Many firms make instruments to measure the
retro-reflectivity of stripes. None of the
mobile systems work very well. The problems are
platform jiggle, speed, and distance from
pavement. We think the solution will come from
firms that test high-speed webs for manufacturers.
Retro-reflectivity Instruments
The Caltrans "Roll-Off" approach involves
specifications for palletization of equipment.
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Ideas Other
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WZ HARD PROTECTION Moveable k-rails Crushable
k-rails WZ LANE MAKERS Traffic mega-machine for
cones, crash-barrels, signs, flashers, flares,
and soft K-rails WZ WARNING Intrusion
alarms Radio interrupt systems Better backup
alarms WZ KEEP IN VEHICLE Pavement sign
painter Driver assistance paint striping Mower
on an arm Shoving blade for existing
vehicles Grappler for existing vehicles WZ
NIGHT WORK Bright, glare-free light for workzones
The time has come for mechatronics. Lots of
ideas, from field, researchers, and vendors. Many
more ideas to come. What's your idea?
WS DOT "Mouse trap"
TruckKat
The WS DOT Mouse Trap program is a rich source of
ideas generated by people in the field.
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About AHMCT Technology
New Golden Age of Mechanical Engineering
Motors and power supplies compact and
precise. Sensors ultrasonic, laser, wideband,
magnetic. Motes. Computers design and
engineering. Computers field interfaces and
controllers. Interfaces intuitive, no explicit
programming. GPS and GIS useful location
accuracy and databases. Communications alter
work patterns. Databases powerful, easy to
use. Materials new materials mean new
possibilities.
Technology integration
Automated systems
Materials handling
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About AHMCT Relationships
Annual Workshop project ideas Steering
Comm. policies and priorities Res. And
Innov. coordinate activities,
oversight AHMCT concept vehicles and
equipment Equipment Shop hardened vehicles,
deployment Companies commercial vehicles,
tech. sup. Mn. Cons. needs, problems,
trials, reality
Workshop 2002
Many hundreds of contacts per year involving many
hundreds of people.
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They make it look easy
In June 2002, two students presented, as their
Masters degree project, a machine to insert
magnets into a roadway.
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Please visit our web sites
Advanced Highway Maintenance and Construction
Technology Research Center www.ahmct.ucdavis.edu
California Department of Transportation Division
of Research and Innovation www.dot.ca.gov/hq/newte
ch