Author: Connected World
As AI (artificial intelligence) continues to transform how communities manage critical infrastructure, universities are investing in research and innovation that can help public agencies make smarter, faster, and more cost-effective decisions about road maintenance. As one example, PaveX, a Purdue University-related startup founded by Purdue civil engineering researcher Mohammad Jahanshahi, recently received a $305,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Science Foundation to advance its AI-powered technology for automating road condition assessments. The technology is designed to help public works departments evaluate road conditions and plan repairs sooner and more efficiently. What makes this technology innovative…
Fact of the week: 63% Investment in technological infrastructure and data center construction in Texas is expected to grow by 63%, reaching $26 billion in direct spending this year. Texas is projected to become a large data center market, surpassing Virginia, and driven by the continued demand for AI infrastructure. There are currently more than 250 data center projects planned or under construction across the state, with 140 already actively being built. The rapid expansion is also driving record energy demand, with more than 6.5 GW of power capacity currently under construction. What are your thoughts? Does Texas seem well…
Technology is transforming transportation by helping researchers better understand why crashes happen and where safety improvements can have the greatest impact. A new research approach uses AI (artificial intelligence) to connect roadway condition data with crash reports, giving transportation agencies clearer insights into road safety risks. Researchers at the University of Houston have developed an AI-powered method that uses large language models to analyze thousands of police crash narratives alongside roadway data, including pavement conditions, road geometry, and surface characteristics. By combining information that has traditionally been evaluated separately, the approach helps identify roadway segments where pavement conditions may contribute…
#Factoftheweek Enterprise spending on generative AI (artificial intelligence) is expected to surpass $220 billion by 2030. That’s a growth rate of 28% during the forecast period. ABI Research forecasts enterprise spending on generative AI will accelerate rapidly through the end of the decade, driven by growing adoption across industries including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, retail, and software development. The shift reflects how organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation and into large-scale business deployment. Rather than viewing generative AI as a standalone tool, enterprises are increasingly embedding it into everyday workflows to improve productivity, automate repetitive tasks, enhance customer experiences, and…
Road infrastructure is entering a new era as research and technology continue to improve the safety, sustainability, and performance of transportation networks. Through collaboration between industry leaders and academic researchers, innovative solutions are helping shape the future of road construction and maintenance. One example is the Roads Research Alliance, a partnership led by National Highways that is advancing breakthrough technologies for safer, greener, and smarter roads. Current research focuses on digital twins, AI (artificial intelligence), robotics, advanced materials, and non-destructive testing methods that can improve road maintenance while reducing disruptions for drivers. Here is how this can help: As transportation…
As researchers work to develop new cancer treatments, one of the biggest challenges is identifying promising drug candidates quickly and efficiently. Now, researchers at Purdue University have developed a next-generation technology platform designed to dramatically speed up the early stages of cancer drug discovery. By combining chemical synthesis, biological testing, and mass spectrometry into a single automated workflow, the platform can reduce processes that once took weeks down to just hours. The new system enables scientists to generate, evaluate, and refine potential drug candidates within the same platform. It also supports the growing use of AI (artificial intelligence) by producing…
Smart water metering is entering a new phase of growth. According to Berg Insight, the installed base of water AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) endpoints in Europe and North America reached 79.1 million units in 2025 and is projected to grow to 154.5 million by 2031. That’s nearly double in just six years. Who said the IoT was dead? Could water utilities become one of the next major drivers of IoT (Internet of Things) adoption? The momentum is being fueled by a combination of factors: aging infrastructure, increasing pressure to reduce water loss, regulatory requirements, and growing demand for realtime visibility…
#Fact of the Week: Data and analytics are entering a new era, one where governance, trust, and sovereignty are becoming just as important as AI (artificial intelligence) innovation itself. According to Gartner, the top data and analytics trends for 2026 include sovereign AI, decision governance for AI agents, and AI governance platforms. As organizations increasingly rely on autonomous AI systems, the focus is shifting from simply deploying AI to ensuring its decisions are transparent, auditable, and aligned with business objectives. Could this be the next phase of enterprise AI adoption? As AI agents take on more strategic and operational responsibilities,…
As data volumes continue to grow across scientific research, so does the need for advanced computing infrastructure to manage, analyze, and connect information from myriad sources. Now, a new high performance data facility aims to help researchers unlock discoveries faster by combining AI (artificial intelligence), high-performance computing, and large-scale data management. The facility is supported through partnerships that include Virginia Tech and the U.S. Dept. of Energy. The high-performance data facility will serve as a national hub for scientific data, enabling researchers to access and analyze information from laboratories, experiments, and simulations across the country. By bringing together computing power,…
Fact of the Week: Rail freight wagon tracking devices will reach nearly 1.4 million by 2030. That’s a 60% increase from 875,000 units in 2025. Berg Insight forecasts the global installed base of tracking devices for rail freight wagons will grow from 875,000 units at the end of 2025 to nearly 1.4 million by 2030, highlighting the growing demand for realtime visibility across rail freight operations. The growth reflects a broader digital transformation taking place across the rail industry. Rail operators and wagon owners are increasingly investing in telematics solutions that provide location tracking as well as realtime data on…