Highway Induction Paint to Enable Safety Messaging

The objective of this SBIR program is to demonstrate the use of patterned radar‐reflective roadway paint and marking tape to communicate safety messages from roadway infrastructure to vehicles and drivers. NanoSonic will work with transportation engineers in the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and radar design and system engineers in the Virginia Tech Hume Center. Radar‐reflective roadway paint and marking tape would be developed, a radar system using low‐cost components already used onboard vehicles would be designed and fabricated, the environmental durability of the paint would be analyzed, and the paint, tape and radar system demonstrated through roadway tests at VTTI. The color of the paint and marking tape would be matched to that of existing roadway center and side marking lines, so it could be applied over those lines and not change the visible appearance of the roadway. Discrete segments of the radar reflective paint would be patterned in digital code along the existing roadway lines to communicate specific safety information messages. Radar‐reflective roadway paint would be used to communicate permanent roadway cautions, and easily removable radar reflective marking tape to communication temporary cautions. Multiple vehicles would be used to demonstrate system performance at VTTI on the Virginia Smart Road.