![]() Chen conducts basic and applied research with an emphasis on implementation. He seeks to design, model, and construct new forms of interaction in visualization and system design, by which the system can minimize its influence on design and analysis, and become a true free extension of human’s brain and hand.ĭr. His research covers interdisciplinary domains of Computer Graphics and Human-Computer Interaction, such as Information Visualization, Visual Analytics, Virtual Reality, and AI in Computer Graphics. Chen started to develop Internet-based applications in Canada since 2000, ranging from website design, mobile phone SMS platforms, information management systems, Flash online games, E-commerce, to social network applications, collaborated with professionals in different domains and communicated with different kinds of clients. In early 90s He pioneered in China to bring 3D modeling, rendering and animation into architecture design. Chen have been working in multi-disciplinary domains for two decades, starting from an engineer, a 3D illustrator and animator, then a web designer and Internet system developer, finally an academic researcher and educator. ![]() He earned Bachelor degree of Engineering from the Tsinghua University (China), and a Master of Science degree in Information Technology from SFU.ĭr. ![]() degree in the areas of human-computer interaction, information visualization, and visual analytics from the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Canada. The research developed for this project was published in Applied Energy and the proceedings of the ASME/ IEEE Joint Rail Conference.Dr. "If we remain successful, this promises to be a leap forward for bringing power accessibility to the railroad tracks." "The ability to monitor the track with that technology is mostly absent, not because we don't have the technology, but because it is difficult to bring power to the remote locations where those technologies are needed," said Ahmadian. Once we have stored that energy, we are able to use it to make the tracks more intelligent by embedding sensors in them."ĭeploying their energy harvesting system could mean greater expansion of the vital sensor systems that keep railways safe. "If we have a long train with maybe 200 railcars, that's 800 wheels, making 1.6 kilowatts. "For every wheel of the train that goes by, we are harvesting 15 to 20 watts of power," said Ahmadian. Since that rollout, the CVeSS team has been collecting data to determine the amount of power that can be generated and the best ways to optimize the device's design.Īs trains passed over the rail, researchers got a clearer picture of how much power it might produce and how that power might be put into use. ![]() Norfolk-Southern agreed to host the deployment of the new rail on a section of its track this past August. The researchers successfully tested the device in the lab, and Ahmadian started conversations about the technology with familiar industry partners. Those gears rotate a generator, creating electricity, which can then be stored in a battery.Īfter developing this viable idea, the team next created a prototype. As the wheels of the train pass over the rail, the train's weight pushes down on that bar, triggering a series of gears. Their high-tech tie, placed underneath the rail, is topped with a heavy metal bar mounted on a spring. Researchers at CVeSS set about coming up with a more durable solution that would provide energy to these devices, deter theft, and require minimal maintenance.Īfter several years of design review, CVeSS researchers created a new kind of tie that replaces the conventional wooden variety and is equipped to generate power. Solar panels are prone to being damaged or stolen, and power generators that use propane require servicing and refueling. According to CVeSS Director Mehdi Ahmadian, delivering energy to that gear can be challenging. These smart systems include gear such as wayside safety equipment, wireless communications, and track health monitors. Approximately 76% of the total miles on American railroad tracks are in rural areas that lack the electricity required for operating smart rail systems.
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