The Port Authority of NY/NJ is asking students to build a robot that can respond to emergencies at the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels.
NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.
Once upon a time, Port Authority police responded to vehicle emergencies inside the Holland and Lincoln tunnels using the narrow catwalks that line the tunnels’ tiled walls. Decommissioned for such use for a decade, the catwalks will be given a new life thanks to the next generation of innovative thinkers who can reimagine how the paths can be used for emergency response.
Subscribe
The agency is calling on regional high schools focused on science, technology, engineering and math curriculums to participate in a 6-month long challenge to conceptualize and design a robotic machine that will serve as the first line of communication to operations staff at the tunnels. Under the supervision of a teacher, students can submit proposals that must include a method for stopped vehicles and staff members to communicate and built-in cameras to capture live footage of the vehicle stoppage within the tunnel. The design and size must not obstruct the flow of traffic.
“We are so excited to partner with young innovators within the New York and New Jersey region in the agency’s first high school challenge,” said Seth Wainer, the agency’s director of innovation. “It is time we dust off the cobwebs on the catwalks and utilize them with 21st century technology to find out about stoppages, effectively communicate with drivers and address stopped traffic within our tunnels.”
The challenge begins June 28 and runs through November, when staff from the Port Authority’s Tunnels, Bridges and Terminals (TB&T) department will select a winner. Throughout the design process, students will receive feedback from the agency’s employee innovation hub, a unit within the Chief Development Officer’s team that fosters and implements staff ideas for potential agency pilot projects. TB&T staff, which oversees the operations and maintenance of the agency’s crossings, will judge the students’ ideas based on potential effectiveness and feasibility during a student exposition hosted by the agency. The winner with the most votes will receive a cash prize of $750 along with the possibility of the idea being adopted and built by the agency.
“A solution will help us improve our response time to vehicle stoppages within the tunnel,” said Shane O’Sullivan, a Holland Tunnel tunnel and bridge agent who responds to traffic and emergency issues within the Holland Tunnel. “Being able to address these stoppages immediately will alleviate the rippling effects from prolonged stoppages within the tunnel and help save time for drivers.”
Interested students must be returning to a high school in New York or New Jersey in the fall of 2023. Applicants should be part of a group of five to eight students with a supervisory teacher. The Port Authority will host three online information sessions over the summer for students interested in participating. For more information on the application process, click here.
Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch here.