TIER 1 UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTER (UTC) Sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology in the U.S. Department of Transportation
INSPECTING AND PRESERVING INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH ROBOTIC EXPLORATION VOL. 8 | ISSUE 1 | SPRING 2024 INSPIRE-UTC Biannual Publication
Director’s Message
In this issue:
I am pleased to welcome you to the latest edition of the INSPIRE University Transportation Center (UTC) newsletter. Since our last publication, we have made significant progress in our research, outreach, and workforce initiatives.
Director's Message News Workforce Development Research Technology Transfer Outreach Upcoming Events
This edition begins with a highlight of a seminar we hosted with Dr. Anne Kiremidjian from Stanford University. Her insights into community resilience to post-natural disasters, were very informative. Dr. Kiremidjian's focus on time-dependent risk assessment and prudent decision-making in reconstruction phases provided valuable perspectives that impact our ongoing research.
Awarded in December of 2016 by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the five-year INSPIRE UTC is a Tier 1 University Transportation Center with a research priority of preserving the existing transportation system as part of the UTC Program (https://www. transportation.gov/utc/2016-utc-grantees) that was authorized under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.
CONSORTIUM MEMBERS
We are excited to share the news of a $2.5 million funding award to INSPIRE UTC investigator, Dr. Hongyan Ma. This project aims to innovate supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) from waste products while storing carbon in concrete. This research promises to impact the concrete industry by developing economically feasible, carbon-negative alternatives to traditional materials. Adding to our research efforts, Dr. Grace Yan – a member of the Center for Intelligent Infrastructure (CII, an envelope organization for the INSPIRE UTC) delivered a keynote at the Distinguished Workshop of Climate Change and Zero Carbon Future in Hong Kong. Her talk on high-fidelity hazard models for climate change adaptation drew international attention and reinforced our commitment to tackling climate resilience challenges. We are proud to announce that Dr. Sajal Das, another CII member, has been elected to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) 2023 class of Fellows. Dr. Das’s contributions to computer science and his innovative spirit have advanced the field and brought distinction to our institution. This edition also highlights new INSPIRE UTC team members. Dr. Ritesh Sharma's work on 3D reconstruction and SLAM for drone navigation exemplifies the research taking place at the INSPIRE UTC. Dr. Guna Sekaran is a Big Data Scientist. Ryan Swan is an undergraduate who helps build custom drones. Our feature on new robotic technologies for bridge inspection demonstrates our commitment to enhancing infrastructure safety and efficiency. The development of the Bridge Inspection Robot Deployment Systems (BIRDS) marks an advancement in bridge inspection methodologies, aligning with the latest National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) revisions. In our outreach efforts, the Kaleidoscope Discovery Center continues to reach over 2500 K-18 students through robotics and engineering programming. The success of the FIRST Lego League and Missouri Future City Competition, along with new initiatives like the high school Future City program, underscores our dedication to inspiring next generation STEM leaders. We remain committed to advancing our research, fostering educational excellence, and engaging with our community. We invite you to explore the featured articles and updates in this edition and encourage you to visit our website at https://inspire-utc.mst. edu for more information about our upcoming events and webinars.
Genda Chen, Ph.D., P.E., F. ASCE, F. SEI, F. ISHMII, F.SPIE, F. TGI Director, INSPIRE University Transportation Center Director, Center for Intelligent Infrastructure