Indianapolis, IN – Wolf Technical Services, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a $750,000 contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop weigh-in-motion technology suitable for slow-moving passenger vehicles on rough roads.
Under this contract with the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Wolf will complete development of a sensor system for determining a moving vehicle’s weight distribution. This information will feed an independent process for identifying irregularly loaded vehicles, such as those carrying Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs). Wolf’s Weigh-in-Motion System (WIMS) will accurately determine total vehicle weight as well as individual axle and wheel weights of moving vehicles. The device is intended to be used at military checkpoints and base entrances. Many checkpoints have a serpentine approach layout for speed control. The WIMS device measures lateral weight shifts associated with a turning vehicle and uses vehicle dynamics models to correct for the weight shifts. The contract provides $750,000 for final development and prototype manufacturing of systems that will be tested at Camp Atterbury. In a previous contract phase, Wolf fabricated and demonstrated an initial design that proved the accuracy attainable with the system.
“Camp Atterbury is honored to have an Indiana based company test equipment here that could one day contribute to saving the lives of the Soldiers and civilians who train here and deploy overseas. Testing at Atterbury – Muscatatuck is a key component of our vision in that it can be done in a realistic environment and provide technology that makes Soldiers and civilians safer in any operation,” said Colonel Barry Richmond, Deputy Commander, Atterbury – Muscatatuck Center for Complex Operations.
The contract is one of several military awards Wolf has received within the last several years to develop military products. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has participated in several of these development efforts by providing grant funds that accelerate the programs to earlier commercialization.
“IEDC support has helped our small business continue to grow and create new jobs in Indiana,” said Joe Ward, Vice President of Business Development.
When completed the WIMS is expected to have much broader application than military checkpoints such as entry checks at military, government, and commercial facilities and homeland security applications .
Wolf’s President Michael Pepe said the new WIMS system can be installed permanently embedded (flush) in paved, gravel or compacted dirt roadways, or can be portable for temporary installation on top of a roadway.
“This smart device may be installed at bases and checkpoints both domestically and abroad as a component of force protection. The WIMS device continues Wolf’s legacy of developing safety systems to better protect our men and women in the military,” said Pepe.
