Partnership Among UW, Range, WYDOT Promises Safer Roads in Wyoming

Anywhere else in the country, it might be called a back road, but here in Wyoming, it’s a legitimate highway with nothing but sagebrush for company for hundreds of miles. With no oversight to keep an eye on conditions, a truck off the road or a snowdrift spanning a lane can quickly escalate into a major travel disruption for both commercial drivers and residents, leading to accidents and costly delays.

Thanks to a pilot project led by University of Wyoming Associate Professor Diksha Shukla in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, these hazards could be significantly reduced.

The project, titled “Feasibility of Employing AI Computer Vision and Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing for Traffic and Weather Monitoring,” will deploy Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) in tandem with artificial intelligence-based computer vision to monitor a section of U.S. Highway 85 just north of Cheyenne.

“DAS turns ordinary fiber-optic cables -- like the ones already running along Wyoming highways -- into thousands of tiny vibration sensors. Every time a vehicle drives by or weather affects the road, the cable ‘feels’ the vibrations, records them and sends that information to a computer, which can figure out things like traffic speed, congestion or even icy conditions,” Shukla says.

As a supplement to this acoustic-based system, an AI-based computer vision system will use cameras and tailored algorithms to provide visual checks and balances. The computer vision system can identify the presence of vehicles and analyze weather and road conditions.

Shukla is excited about the potential benefits to the state for such a system.

“Together, these systems give a real-time, 360-degree view of traffic and weather, without needing dozens of expensive roadside sensors or repeated manual checks,” Shukla says. “Essentially, it’s like giving the roads their own ‘senses’ so WYDOT can see what’s happening and respond faster to keep people safe and traffic moving smoothly.”

Shukla notes that these monitoring technologies will not collect any personal data from vehicles, and residents are unlikely to notice that the pilot study is happening, besides the occasional presence of a maintenance vehicle, as no new infrastructure is needed.

This model would provide an extremely simple and cost-effective solution to the state for increasing reliable traffic and road conditions data, serving as an invaluable tool for WYDOT and drivers who rely on accurate travel information.

While the project officially launched in March 2024, the pilot study on Highway 85 is scheduled to begin soon and will run for six months, with completion projected for this September.

Multiple partners are collaborating to make this project possible.

The research project is federally funded, with operational oversight provided by WYDOT. Range, one of the largest fiber-optic carriers in Wyoming, owns and maintains the fiber-optic network on which the project depends and is responsible for operations in the field during the pilot project, including installation and connectivity of the associated technologies. LUNA/OptaSense is furnishing the sensor technology that converts existing fiber-optic cables into a distributed sensor array.

While Shukla’s team at UW is leading the project and is primarily responsible for research and analysis, a team at the University of Cincinnati will lend its expertise in evaluating technical performance of the equipment and costs associated with the project.

Successful completion of the pilot study could see the implementation of the integrated monitoring systems on roads across the state.

“The public can expect safer and more efficient travel along Wyoming highways as a result of this study,” Shukla says. “By using existing fiber-optic infrastructure to monitor traffic and weather in real time, WYDOT will be able to detect hazardous conditions, congestion and icy or snow-covered roads more quickly, allowing for faster response and improved safety.”