U.S. DOT FY 2026 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Q&A
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54 results found
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Architecture: edge-distributed mesh vs cloud-edge
The topic description states "the technical approach envisioned for this SBIR topic aligns with this latter category, which is cloud-edge computing." Would proposals using a fully edge-distributed mesh of perception nodes (with cloud aggregation reserved for non-real-time analytics, model training, and longer-horizon prediction) be considered responsive to this topic, or is a centralized cloud-edge split required?
1 vote0 comments · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
Does 26-OS1 include commercial vehicle auction transaction data as a qualifying voluntary industry data stream?
Would a system integrating NHTSA VIN-level recall data with auction house vehicle transaction data — flagging open safety recalls at point of commercial transfer before retail re-entry — represent the Trusted Intermediary architecture and proactive safety indicator use case envisioned by this topic?
1 vote -
Would a human-centered safety communication system that generates real-time visual warning signals (based on braking behavior and environmen
The system I am developing focuses on proactive accident prevention by providing immediate, human-visible signals to surrounding drivers and pedestrians.
In addition to visual signaling, the system integrates environmental awareness (e.g., stop sign detection via GPS) to anticipate potential risk situations and provide advance warning.
I would like to understand whether such human-generated and behavior-based signaling systems can be recognized as a valid input or complementary component within predictive safety analytics frameworks.
1 vote -
Does predictive safety include human-visible communication systems designed to prevent accidents before driver reaction?
I am developing a predictive human-centered safety communication system that provides a forward-facing visual signal activated during braking to improve awareness for oncoming drivers and pedestrians.
In addition, the system is being expanded to include:
an amber-colored signal for regulatory compatibility,
a fully cordless, solar-powered design,
and GPS-based detection of stop signs to provide advance warning signals to drivers.
Given that this approach is based on human-visible communication rather than AI-based analytics, I would like to confirm whether such a system falls within the scope of predictive safety analytics for this topic.
1 vote -
1 vote
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External or Internal Surface Temperature
Does the solicitation require the coating to indicate temperature thresholds corresponding to internal package temperatures, or is external surface temperature indication sufficient for compliance purposes?"
1 vote -
Access to battery terminals?
Does the proposed solution need to address discharge of batteries where the terminals are damaged, corroded, or otherwise inaccessible, or is the scope limited to batteries with intact and accessible terminal connections?
1 vote0 comments · 26-PH1: Increase End-of-Life Battery Safety and Recovery of Rare Earth Minerals · Admin → -
For the Freight Corridor Predictive Intelligence topic, is preference given to solutions that provide dual functionality — simultaneously mo
For the Freight Corridor Predictive Intelligence topic, is preference given to solutions that provide dual functionality — simultaneously monitoring both commercial vehicle health and the structural integrity of the weigh station platform itself using the same sensor array?
1 vote -
Must multi-agent coordination be demonstrated, or is single-agent with extensibility enough?
On the multi-agent coordination requirement, how much of that needs to be shown at this stage? A small demo with two adjacent edge nodes coordinating is a different scope than a single-agent demo with multi-agent extensibility just documented, so we'd like to scope it right.
1 vote0 comments · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
Preferred archived data sources, or is sourcing offeror-driven?
For archived data, is there a preferred source (NPMRDS, RITIS, state DOT data lakes, the Work Zone Data Exchange), or is that really up to the offeror?
1 vote0 comments · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
What CV *********** rate should the benefits analysis assume?
What connected-vehicle *********** rate should the benefits analysis assume? The topic asks for a with-vs-without-advisory comparison, and the result swings a lot depending on whether we're modeling at 5%, 10%, or 20% ***********.
1 vote0 comments · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
Is CARMA / Saxton Lab integration expected for the HIL demo?
For the HIL setup, does the program want to see integration with CARMA / the Saxton Lab, or is it fine to use our own HIL environment? Trying to figure out if CARMA integration is something that actually matters competitively here.
1 vote0 comments · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
C-V2X as baseline given 5.9 GHz reallocation, or is DSRC still acceptable?
With the 5.9 GHz reallocation and the move to C-V2X, should we be treating C-V2X (PC5/Uu) as the baseline for the HIL demo, or is DSRC still on the table?
1 vote0 comments · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
Commercial Readiness Assessment — are signed LOIs expected from partners?
For the Commercial and Implementation Readiness Assessment, what level of partner engagement are you expecting? Signed LOIs from state DOTs or MPOs, or is earlier-stage interest enough?
1 vote -
Data integration plan — strategy document or working ingest pipelines?
Is this more of a strategy document, or do you want to see working ingest pipelines for at least some of the data sources by the end?
1 vote -
Digital twin expectation — microsimulation, generative AI, or existing platform integration?
For the digital twin piece — are you thinking more along the lines of physics-based microsimulation (Aimsun, SUMO, Vissim), or a generative AI model trained on real corridor traces? And is the program open to building on top of an existing digital-twin platform, or would you rather see something built from scratch?
1 vote -
Priority among data sources, and are licensed feeds (NPMRDS, ATRI) government-furnished?
Is there a priority order on the data sources? We're weighing NPMRDS, ATRI, state WIM, FAF, TPIMS, and connected vehicle BSMs, and it'd help to know which ones the program sees as most important. Also, for the licensed ones like NPMRDS and ATRI — are those typically furnished to awardees, or should we plan to budget for them?
1 vote -
Clarification on 80% accuracy target — spatial unit and error metric?
Quick clarification on the 80% accuracy target for 30–60 minute forecasts — is that measured at the segment level, at specific bottlenecks, or across full origin-destination pairs? And what error metric are you using? Whether it's MAPE on travel time vs. classification accuracy on a congestion label changes the modeling approach quite a bit.
1 vote -
Alternate approach to traffic congestion prevention and mitigation
This SBIR solicitation focuses on traffic congestion prevention and mitigation via advisories intended to optimize overall traffic flow. Would SBIR consider funding an alternate approach to traffic congestion prevention and mitigation, which allows all motor vehicles of any type to operate safely in near bumper-to-bumper proximity, thereby significantly increasing the throughput of all roadways? This is achievable without self-driving and with complete ad hock autonomy of each vehicle (i.e., no platoons or preplanning of any type). Fully automated acceleration-deceleration is achievable with adjacent lead-follow vehicle proximity dependencies including speed, braking performance, road conditions, and accommodations to permit ad hock vehicle…
1 vote0 comments · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
Standards and Compliance Contexts
Does "explainable" imply a particular standard — SHAP/LIME-style local explanations, audit-grade decision logs, regulatory-aligned model cards — or domain-specific explainability tied to DOT compliance contexts?
1 vote
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