FOUNDER SPOTLIGHT
DR. PANOS MICHALOPOULOS
Founder, mage Sensing Systems, Inc.
"Research funding from the Department of Transportation was key to our ability to test new ideas and new technologies to improve the efficiency and safety of our roads and highways," said Prof. Panos Michalopoulos, who founded Image Sensing Systems a quarter of a century ago. "However, in the area of infrastructure, we remain dangerously underinvested in funding for basic research and in our effectiveness of moving discoveries from our universities to the market".
FAST FACTS
FOUNDER(S):
Dr. Panos Michalopoulos
INNOVATION(S):
Transportation
EMPLOYEES:
80
HEADQUARTERS:
St. Paul, MN
FOUNDED:
1984
REVENUE:
$26.5 million FY08
TSC MEMBER INSTITUTION(S):
University of Minnesota
FUNDING AGENCY(S):
Department of Transportation
Department of Transportation
STATUS:
Public
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IMAGE SENSING SYSTEMS, INC.
ABOUT THE COMPANY:
As traffic backs up across the country and around the world, demand grows for the traffic monitoring products of Image Sensing Systems.
Image Sensing Systems designs computer software and hardware that help keep traffic flowing and help traffic managers monitor the roadways. The company’s systems are used in about 60 countries around the world.
“With the proliferation of traffic surveillance cameras, it’s impossible for an individual to monitor every camera,” explains Ken Aubrey, Image Sensing Systems CEO. “Our computer-enabled detection software extracts key information so a human doesn’t have to. For instance, our devices can detect if there’s a stopped vehicle in the road, or if a vehicle is going the wrong direction, or if a pedestrian is on the road, or if there’s debris on the road.”
When the system detects a potential problem, it will flag a person in the traffic control center to investigate.
Typically, the firm’s systems are used to monitor intersections, bridges, highways and tunnels. For instance, in China, its system is used to monitor the 200 cameras installed in the 11-mile long Zhongnanshan tunnel.
UNIVERSITY-BASED RESEARCH CONNECTION:
Image Sensing Systems, Inc., (ISS) was founded in 1984 by University of Minnesota Civil Engineering Professor Dr. Panos Michalopoulos, who saw the potential for using video cameras and computers in real-life traffic applications to help resolve problems.
ROLE OF FEDERAL RESEARCH FUNDING:
Dr. Michalopoulos’ research was partially funded by the Federal Highway Administration, part of the Department of Transportation.
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IMAGE SENSING SYSTEMS, INC.