Mark Rivett posted July 19, 2021
Read Full Story at Michigan Dearborn News
A UM-Dearborn professor has developed a bike-mounted lidar system that could help researchers and engineers design new strategies for safer streets.
Normally when one of our stories mentions lidar — the laser-powered locating technology that’s similar to radar or sonar — we’re talking about autonomous vehicle navigation. But UM-Dearborn Assistant Professor Fred Feng, who studies non-motorized mobility safety issues, recently developed an application for lidar that could be a big help for those working in the active mobility space.
In the name of research, Feng has been strapping various sensors to bicycles and vehicles for years, and to date, that’s typically meant GPS and video cameras. They all work pretty well, especially if you’re looking to capture intimate observational data about bicycle riders’ real-world experiences. But Feng says this technology cocktail has a few important limitations. For example, if you want to take a detailed look at “overtaking” — a common high-risk scenario in which a driver passes a cyclist on the road — camera systems can’t really give you an accurate measurement of how close the car got to the cyclist. And even if you’ve equipped your bike with a proximity sensor, it can only record a single measurement at the moment the car temporarily draws even with the cyclist.
Read Full Story at Michigan Dearborn News
Category: All News and Events, Community News and Events, Detroit, Engagement 2021Comments Off on Bike safety research is going ‘high-res’ with this new technology
Mark Rivett posted July 15, 2021
On Friday, July 16, 2021 at 10:00 AM ET, University of Michigan Professor Shobita Parthasarathy to testify before the House Science Committee: Fostering Equity in Energy Innovation.
Watch the testimony here
Category: All News and Events, Engagement 2021, Federal News and EventsComments Off on Professor of Public Policy and Director, Science, Technology, and Public Policy program Shobita Parthasarathy testifies before the House Science Committee
Mark Rivett posted July 14, 2021
Read Full Story at ABC Channel 12 News
With frequent reports of illegal dumping in Flint, the Genesee County Land Bank is working with the University of Michigan on a series of solutions to the chronic problem.
Over 80% of volunteer groups with the land bank’s Clean & Green program report illegal dumping activity on vacant lots they help maintain. They say contractors and homeowners regularly dump construction debris, furniture, tires and other junk in Flint.
The University of Michigan’s Youth Violence Prevention Center is working with the land bank to design and research various measures to stop illegal dumping.
Category: All News and Events, Community News and Events, Engagement 2021Comments Off on Genesee County Land Bank partners with University of Michigan to curb illegal dumping
