VisioStack receives SBIR nod

The U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center recently announced its recommendations for the 2019 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation, which includes VisioStack’s proposal Aerial Crossing Inspection System (AXIS).

VisioStack said that AXIS is “a highly innovative highway-rail grade crossing inspection system using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and machine learning to perform inspections with unprecedented efficiency. AXIS is an end-to-end solution that will flag and report high-risk profiles for repair to improve the safety of trains, pedestrians and traffic at its location.”

VisioStack noted that improvements to the inspection of grade crossings are being targeted by the U.S. Department of Transportation due to the large number of crossings in the U.S. as well as the number of incidents that occur each year. Over 200 deaths occur annually at such crossings, often due to hazardous roadway and track conditions. AXIS aims to provide the ability to perform inspections while creating time and cost efficiencies compared with the traditional method of on-track measurement vehicles.

With the nod, VisioStack becomes the first South Carolina-based company in the past 23 years to be awarded an SBIR project from the U.S. Department of Transportation.