This project will develop a wireless weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensor and a smart phone app that will wirelessly receive and display data from the WIM sensor on the weight and type of each passing vehicle. The WIM sensor will utilize a vibration energy harvesting system to create a battery-less wireless device embedded in the road. The embedded WIM device will derive all its operational energy from the vibrations caused by each passing vehicle. Work in Stage 1 focuses on prototype development and initial evaluation of the WIM system. The research tasks will include enhancement of the sensor design, fabrication and evaluation of the enhanced sensor in the pavement at the MnRoad Research Facility, development of a wireless interface to the sensor from the internet, development of a smart phone app and associated software, and permanent installation of the sensor in the road. Work in Stage 2 will focus on long-term reliability monitoring and addressing issues, if any, with the reliability of the WIM system in actual field environment. The key tasks will include sensor enhancements based on results and expert panel’s recommendations from Stage 1, evaluation of the sensor with vehicles of known weights, weekly monitoring of sensor performance and sensor condition in the road, addressing reliability issues with sensor and preparation of a comprehensive project final report detailing the development and performance of the WIM sensor system.

The project has been discontinued. The final report is not available.