The Port of Pittsburgh Commission seeks local companies and individuals to participate in its Wireless Waterway Interoperability Test Bed the week of June 15.
The commission is accepting applications through Tuesday, April 1 from interested entrepreneurs, organizations, and vendors to conduct demonstrations of technologies and products on the Wireless Waterway Interoperability Test Bed. In addition it seeks volunteers both to act as professional evaluators and to assist in the operations of the event.
The commission established this test bed to help identify technologies which addressed critical river water challenges in the areas of river transportation, communications, environment, safety, sensor, communications, cyber-security, collaboration, and interoperability. Testing provides an opportunity for technology developers to interact with operational personnel to determine how their technology development efforts and ideas may support or enhance needs of the maritime industry. The environment facilitates a collaborative working relationship between government, academia, and industry to promote the identification and assessment of emerging and mature technologies for the primary goal of accelerating the delivery of technology discoveries to the maritime industry.
The first Interoperability Test Bed event was successfully held May 28, 2013 to June 7, 2013 with experiments being run on the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela Rivers in southwest Pennsylvania with the Carnegie Science Center used as central point for coordination. Testing included environmental sensor integration, advanced broadband wireless solutions for tow boats, unmanned surface vessels, as well as 3D video display technologies for tows during reduced visibility. Click here to find results from the 2013 ITB demo
The next Interoperability Test Bed event is scheduled for the week of June 15, 2014. Click here to download the application to submit a proposed technology demonstration. Applications are due by Tuesday, April 1. A separate Request for Information on possible Public-Private Partnerships will be issued later.
