‘SMART’ POLICE CARS FOCUS
OF $1 MILLION GRANT TO UH
U.S. Dept. of Justice Taps College of Engineering to Improve Law
Enforcement Technology
HOUSTON, Nov. 4, 2004 – The Batmobile and KITT have nothing
on the “smart” police cars coming to the University
of Houston. These special law enforcement vehicles are about to
get a high-tech makeover courtesy of a $1 million National Institute
of Justice (NIJ) grant.
Highlighting the growing partnership between academia, industry
and the law enforcement community in fighting crime across the country,
UH researchers are developing advanced technologies to equip these
vehicles – known as “smart” cars – with
the latest law enforcement technologies to further enhance officers’
crime-fighting capabilities. The state-of-the-art police car and
SUV coming to campus will serve as test beds for mobile command
centers.
Researchers in the UH Cullen College of Engineering are already
developing such features as a rugged mass memory storage device
derived from high-temperature superconductivity research pioneered
at UH and integrated multifunctional antennas with multiple frequency
bands on a vibration isolation platform for border patrol applications.
This vibration isolation system will help protect sensitive electronic
equipment inside the car during severe, off-road driving conditions.
“The research performed right here at the University of Houston
will better protect our police and allow them to be even safer and
more effective,” said Congressman Tom DeLay (R-TX), who helped
secure the grant. “These dollars were awarded because the
University of Houston has proven their research ability, and when
the project is complete, UH will have provided the rest of the nation
with a new concept of what a police car should be.”
The University of Houston Police Department has been selected to
receive two of these vehicles this winter, making the UHPD the mobile
test bed for this law enforcement technology. In addition to strengthening
campus officers’ current crime-fighting technology, these
vehicles will provide an evolving platform that is upgradeable as
research and implementation indicate. As the research, development
and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, the NIJ
also is enabling new technology developed by UH engineers in collaboration
with industry partners to be retrofitted into these vehicles for
field tests and be transferred to law enforcement equipment and
vehicle manufacturers.
UHPD Chief of Police Bob Wilson is excited about the possibilities.
A medium-sized, full-service police agency and component of the
university, the UHPD is in the unique position of being a “real
world” entity located in a neutral environment with high-level
research capabilities.
“We are extremely pleased to be afforded this opportunity
to participate in the advancement of technology as it relates to
the law enforcement profession,” Wilson said. “We welcome
a greater role in the education process at UH through these collaborative
efforts with the Cullen College of Engineering, the National Institute
of Justice, and law enforcement equipment and vehicle manufacturers.”
“This funding is only the beginning,” said Steven Pei,
associate dean for research in the Cullen College of Engineering
and the lead researcher on the project. “We are looking forward
to a long-term partnership with the automotive industry, electronic
equipment manufacturers and the law enforcement community to develop
the next generation mobile command capability.”
Police departments typically add many special devices to the standard
police cars they acquire from manufacturers. Each piece of equipment,
from sirens to radios to computers, requires its own controls and
monitoring devices that tend to overcrowd the driver cockpit. In
addition, these systems often are not designed or installed to focus
on usability for the driver and operating ergonomics within the
vehicle. Developing ways to integrate systems so that they work
well with each other seamlessly and the rest of the environment
will be a key focus of the research. For example, the SUV will be
equipped with state-of-the-art radio-over-IP technology to address
the communications interoperability problem that exists between
different radio systems used by various law enforcement and emergency
response units in a metropolitan area such as greater Houston, Pei
said.
Besides the two vehicles, the remaining funds will be devoted to
the university’s research and development efforts. The vehicles
are expected to arrive on campus in early January.
“This kicks off an important partnership between UH engineers
and automotive engineers actively developing advanced systems integration
for the automotive industry,” said Raymond Flumerfelt, dean
of the Cullen College of Engineering. “Our college is especially
happy with this partnership in light of 9/11 and our current homeland
security needs.”
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
About the Cullen College of Engineering
UH Cullen College of Engineering has produced five U.S. astronauts,
ten members of the National Academy of Engineering, and degree programs
that have ranked in the top ten nationally. With more than 2,600
students, the college offers accredited undergraduate and graduate
degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical
and computer, industrial, and mechanical engineering. It also offers
specialized programs in aerospace, materials, petroleum engineering
and telecommunications.
About the National Institute of Justice
NIJ is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S.
Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime control
and justice issues. NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based
knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice,
particularly at the State and local levels.
For more information about the Cullen College of Engineering, visit
http://www.egr.uh.edu
For more information about NIJ, visit http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/
To receive UH science news via e-mail, visit http://www.uh.edu/admin/media/sciencelist.html
For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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