Dallas Ft. Worth Airport (DFW) Implementing Novel Technology from pi-lit®

September 24, 2024

DFW and pi-lit®, a California-based technology company, have partnered to deploy a novel impact detection technology to monitor crash cushions that protect drivers and critical infrastructure entering and exiting the airport. DFW uses both electronic Point-of-Service and personnel occupied Parking Plaza booths to collect parking fees. These Parking Plaza booths require traffic to funnel into lanes. Large vehicles, tractor-trailers, campers, and standard vehicles frequently strike the crash cushions that protect drivers from injury when the lane is not successfully navigated. When a crash cushion is struck, management personnel are notified immediately via the pi-lit® Impact Detection System (IDS™).

Crash cushions, also referred to as attenuators, are designed to deform and absorb the force of impact, thereby minimizing damage to a vehicle and injury to the passengers. Following an impact the crash cushion must be inspected and repaired if necessary. Failure to inspect and repair may lead to a tragic outcome following a 2nd strike. The pi-lit® IDS™ provides a low-cost solution that notifies personnel immediately.

DFW had previously monitored the 60 crash cushions via a mechanical “flag” that would pop up upon impact. This required that personnel walk across lanes, exposing themselves to moving traffic, to reset the flag. Frequently, these flags will falsely deploy owing to vehicle roadwake or wind events. Today, the pi-lit® IDS™, using machine learning, is able to learn from the hundreds of impacts and inspections to accurately determine the severity of the impact and whether immediate repair is required. This data is then also analyzed to determine an accurate sensitivity threshold which can be tuned remotely from the web-based interface.

The combined advantages of the machine learning technology, immediate notification, and avoidance of personnel having to traverse lanes to inspect, have led to economic, operational, and safety benefits. Dallas Ft. Worth Airport leads the nation in recognizing and deploying advanced technology to enhance both driver and personnel safety while reducing the cost to do so.