PRINCETON, N.J., March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Intelligent Material Solutions, Inc. (IMS), innovators in the field of rare-earth materials and sensor systems, announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted US patent No. US10921815B2 and the Japanese Patent Office granted patent No. JP6970107B2.
Titled, "Cooperative Guidance," the patents cover a multi-modal system for pedestrians and vehicles to determine their precise geo-location by sensing certain coatings on pavement, sidewalks and other outdoor or indoor environments. The markings may also supply specific message content about the movement of the vehicle or characteristics of the roadway. The system subsequently may autonomously adjust and operate the vehicle based on received data.
"Testing of an early prototype at the Federal Highway Administration’s Turner-Fairbank Transportation Research Center demonstrated the potential for the cooperative systems to accurately locate a vehicle based upon painted markings on the pavement," noted Robert Ferlis, the now retired Federal research engineer who participated in the testing activities.
Society’s inevitable shift towards autonomous vehicles will cause traffic flow within cities to undergo dramatic change. Despite recent travel apps and highway engineering taking initiatives to improve travel safety, there has only been minimal amelioration. IMS’ cooperative guidance system may enhance location technology by reliably identifying exact locations on roadways as well as improve traffic safety and efficacy by locating stop bars, lanes and other key locations.
The system uses a surface coating material, Intelligent Paint® or I-Paint™, that contains Intelligent Material® (IM), patented rare-earth crystals that absorb electromagnetic energy and convert that energy to provide information.
While IMS produces sensors in-house for specialized applications, most LIDAR, Infrared, and vision systems – one or more of which is found mounted on most new vehicles – can sense I-Paint™. This equipment may then transform information into processing signals and determine specific characteristics regarding vehicle operation, location and key markings. The invention identifies, guides and protects motorists and pedestrians by utilizing I-Paint™ for precise location.
An important application of this technology is guidance for the blind and visually impaired (BVI). Emitters/sensors mounted on the white cane could read the I-Paint™ and determine location as for example at an intersection crosswalk. I-Paint™ on a sidewalk could assist in wayfinding to bus stops, strengthening accessibility and safe passage to transit locations.
The system is also viable for indoor environments, such as government buildings, warehouses and shopping malls.
IMS is a material science and technology company that develops custom rare-earth crystals as well as accompanying or stand-alone sensors. The company has a portfolio of patents around rare-earth crystals covering devices, methods, systems and composition of matter. IMS products have applications in quantum/optical computing, life science, authentication, transportation, defense and spectroscopy. The company is based out of Princeton, NJ in the old RCA/Sarnoff Building. For more information on IMS, visit: https://www.intelligentmaterial.com or contact
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SOURCE Intelligent Material Solutions, Inc.
