Center for Product Development
About CPD
The Center for Product Development specializes in assessing technologies developed at VTTI for their potential to be commercialized and applied to improve roadway and driving safety. Typical activities conducted by the CPD include strategic market analysis, concept generation, product requirement specifications, licensing strategy development, and proof of concept demonstration. The CPD staff is experienced in business, marketing, and engineering analyses and has extensive knowledge of issues relating to driving safety, in-vehicle safety devices, driving performance and driver behavior.
About the Director
Dr. Michael Mollenhauer is the Director of the Center for Product Development. His experience includes 10 years in start-up technology companies with transportation-related products. He has managed all aspects of business and product development including management of product development teams, leading business and product roadmap development activity, project management for commercial and government contracts, Phase I and II SBIRs, as well as evaluating in-vehicle technologies and quantifying driver safety behaviors.
Dr. Mollenhauer has conducted research in the areas of driving safety, human factors for in-vehicle systems, and driving simulation. He has authored over 30 scientific articles and technical reports.
The Main Objectives of the Center are:
- To assess and promote commercial usage of technologies developed at VTTI
- To develop product and service concepts that make use of VTTI technologies
- To develop strategies for how product and service concepts might be implemented in a broad commercial market
- To facilitate the process of identifying and declaring intellectual property and inventions at VTTI
- To seek out potential outlets for VTTI technologies
- To promote economic development in Southwest Virginia
Current Work
VTTI Technology Assessment
The CPD is identifying and reviewing technologies developed at VTTI. The CPD has identified several key equipment designs and software components that may have commercial viability. CPD has facilitated the process of creating intellectual property disclosures for those technologies.
On-board Driving Safety System Commercialization Program
The CPD is analyzing a group of technologies that have potential application in the field of on-board safety systems including driving behavior and performance monitoring. The CPD is working through Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties to further define these technologies and to create a strategy for commercialization.
School Bus Stop Arm Violation Detection System
The CPD is analyzing a design for a system that can be used to detect and capture relevant information from vehicles violating an extended school bus stop arm.