Implementing On-Board Sensor and Real Time Data Acquisition Capabilities in Transit Vehicles

The Cleveland State University Transportation Center (CSU-UTC) and Case Western Reserve University’s (CWRU) Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected System (ISSACs) are collaborating to provide a sensor-based research effort that is focused primarily on rail maintenance and bus emission issues relating to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) transit system. 

The CSU-UTC (operating since 2005) is a long-term initiative that selectively taps the research and educational expertise of faculty from several CSU colleges (for this effort, specifically the Washkewicz College of Engineering and the Levin College of Urban Affairs).  The goal of the CSU-UTC is improving all facets of transportation across northeast Ohio and surrounding regions through research, technology application, and training.

ISAACS is an institute located at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) that brings together faculty from across the CWRU campus to enhance the development, deployment and testing of Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) technologies and solutions to meet the needs of industry and public sector.

Recently the Internet of Things (IoT) Collaborative was launched which is composed of CWRU and CSU research faculty.  The IoT Collaborative is focused broadly on innovation associated with the internet of connected devices, not just from a technology innovation perspective, but also from the perspective of how such technology innovation is woven into society and public life.  The goal of the collaborative is improving quality of life by creating stronger and more connected communities and neighborhoods.

As an integral institution of northeast Ohio, the GCRTA will continue to actively configures its assets (fixed and mobile) to record and communicate data for interpretation.  GCRTA has more than 400 vehicles on the road during peak service.  Transit vehicles operate throughout Cuyahoga County twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week.  At the end of this proposed effort additional systems will be designed, configured and added to a select number of vehicles.  These systems will act as mobile data hubs, collecting and sending information associated with the following endeavors:

1. Assessment of rail ballast fouling.
2. Health monitoring of rail car wheels.
3. Assessing bus emissions.
4. Monitor on-time performance and passenger wait time

The additional systems must be capable of transmitting, archiving and interpreting the data acquired in each of these assessment endeavors.