Video link produces travel savings for TEA

Translog: Journal of Military Transportation Management, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Sharon Huff

A high-tech, computer-based link is producing creative savings for MTMC's Transportation Engineering Agency.

The video test link allows engineers at our agency's Newport News, Va., office to view transportability tests--|to include rail impact tests and provisions strength tests at Aberdeen Test Center, Aberdeen, Md.

We developed the video test link in order to reduce travel time and cost. It allows our engineers to view and hear digital files at their computer workstations.

The process is simple. At Aberdeen, the test is captured using digital video and audio equipment. The file is transferred via file transfer protocol to the center's Web site, HTTP://134.194.25.104.

At that point, engineers at the Transportation Engineering Agency may open the file containing both video and audio data and review its content. The test data is available to other agencies as well.

Typically, our engineers give guidance before, during and after rail impact testing.

Part of that review includes an analysis of any damage as a result of the test impact or lateral, longitudinal, and vertical pulls on each provision.

Formerly, a typical trip of two and a half days would cost us over $900 in travel expenses alone.

"Besides savings in travel costs and non-productive travel hours, the video test link offers the acquisition community a tremendous capability to quickly resolve controversial test results," said Michael Williams, Chief, Deployability Division. "In the past, we would have to wait weeks for trip reports, process and mailing of photographs and video tapes.

"What used to take weeks, we can now accomplish in minutes and hours."

Also in agreement with that view is Bryan Reyns, Deployability Engineering Team Chief.

"The video test link just makes sense," said Reyns. "It helps us use our assets more efficiently.

"We are very pleased at the reception the video test link has received within the acquisition community, and are happy to see that so many organizations are able to reduce travel costs and time away from the office."

Now that we have been able to successfully expand the use of the video test link to observe both the rail impact test and the provision strength test at the Aberdeen Test Center, we are looking into creating a similar link at Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, Ariz.

An additional option is available as well, where the video and audio data is transmitted through video teleconferencing centers. This allows our engineers to participate in real-time testing from Newport News.

There is a 15-minute delay with the video test link using the Web without video teleconferencing.

We strongly encourage the guidance of a Transportation Engineering Agency engineer to support any transportability test scenario from Military Standard 810, Military Standard 209, and MTMC Transportation Engineering Agency's modal pamphlet series 55-19 through 55-24.