Fiber Optic Sensing Association Presents Annual FOSA Project Awards

PRESS RELEASE
January 10, 2024
Fiber Optic Sensing Association
Contact: Michael Hines, (860) 993-5627

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Presents Annual FOSA Project Awards

WASHINGTON, DC – January 10, 2024 – The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the premier trade association dedicated to fiber optic sensing, announces the runner-up and winner of its annual FOSA Project Awards – SAMM Teknoloji, and a collaboration between Dura-Line and LUNA.

The award presentations were made in Washington, D.C. at the association’s annual member meeting in December.

The 2023 runner-up for FOSA’s prestigious annual Project Award was SAMM Teknoloji in recognition of collaboration invoking distributed fiber optic sensing technology. SAMM Teknoloji worked with the Istanbul Municipality Gas Distribution Industry and Trade Joint Stock Company on an “Earthquake Early Warning System.” The North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) includes a segment known as the Marmara that runs through the Sea of Marmara. The fault has been identified as a potential seismic hazard for the region.

“We are honored to receive the runner-up award for FOSA 2023 Project of the Year. This recognition is a testament to the hard work, innovation, and dedication of the entire team at SAMM Teknoloji. Our commitment to excellence in fiber sensing has been a driving force, and we are excited to continue pushing boundaries and delivering impactful solutions. This accolade fuels our motivation to contribute meaningfully to the industry. We extend our gratitude to FOSA for this prestigious acknowledgment, and we look forward to unveiling even more groundbreaking initiatives in the future,” commented Bulent Toksoz, Director of R & D and Technology, SAMM Teknoloji.

The most recent major earthquake in the region was the 1999 Mw 7.4 Izmit earthquake that caused extensive damage and loss of life in the Istanbul metropolitan area. To understand the behavior of the Marmara segment and improve seismic hazard assessment and mitigation strategies in the region, a project for Earthquake Early Warning was initiated by Istanbul Gas Distribution Industry and Trade, Inc. (GDAS) with the support of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and Energy Markets Regulatory Authority (EMRA). The project started in September 2022 using SAMM Teknoloji fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing system product (FOTAS) for real-time seismic activity detection and analysis, providing valuable information for earthquake early warning systems. SAMM Teknoloji also developed artificial intelligence (AI) to identify patterns and trends that may indicate seismic activity.

Jon Beckman, Vice Chairman of FOSA and Director, Instrument and Business Operations with VIAVI Solutions added, “For FOSA, these projects demonstrate the value-adding potential of distributed fiber optic sensing, across many markets. Furthermore, they emphasize the opportunities of collaboration – the potential for adding value across many industries is far-reaching – we see problem-solving solutions created almost daily.”

The joint winners of FOSA’s 2023 Project award were Luna Innovations (OptaSense) and Dura-Line. These FOSA Premier members teamed up on a 2-year Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) project entitled “Using Fiber for Situational Awareness Along Roadways.” The area under investigation included canyon routes from Salt Lake City, Utah, to popular tourist destinations for the state, including the ski resorts of Alta and Park City. The deployment included LUNA’s Traffic Monitoring Solution (TMS) coupled to telecommunications-grade optical fiber within an existing fiber optic cable protected in Dura-Line conduit. The purpose of the field-trial was to assess emerging Smart Road applications including vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic/road monitoring, crash detection and classification, monitoring for natural hazards common to Utah such as snow avalanches and rockfalls, and utility protection, all in addition to complementary traffic monitoring of vehicle speed and congestion. Distributed Acoustic Sensing information generated by LUNA’s TMS solution fed directly into the UDOT Blyncsy Pulse software dashboard, improving situational awareness through real-time monitoring and event alerts and alarms. Additionally, as new detection methods were added their results were extended, providing immediate notification to stakeholders via email.

“LUNA is thrilled to be recognized by FOSA for this achievement. Working closely with the Utah DOT team for a lengthy period allowed time to demonstrate the readiness of LUNA’s TMS solution to help roadway operators close situational awareness gaps. This ground-breaking field-trial also identified events demonstrating the unintended benefits of DAS – it’s always on, always monitoring, and always learning.” Stated JJ Williams, Global Commercial Director for Luna Innovations.

Paul Dickinson, Dura-Line’s Director of Business Development, commented: “We are honored to have received the FOSA 2023 Project of the Year award. Dura-Line, in collaboration with LUNA, was pleased to work closely with visionary UDOT personnel and have the project recognized for its value to both the transportation and fiber sensing industry. Through existing or newly installed roadside optical fiber with this novel sensing application, departments of transportation throughout the U.S. and world now have the ability to improve life safety, protect infrastructure, and reduce operational expenses.”

ABOUT Dura-Line: Dura-Line, an Orbia Connectivity Solutions Business, provides the essential infrastructure – conduit, FuturePath, cable-in-conduit, and accessories – to make communication possible. Through our innovative product solutions and unparalleled customer insight, Dura-Line creates what connects us, serving a wide variety of markets including telecommunications, enterprise networking, energy, and transportation.

ABOUT Luna Innovations: Founded in 1990, Luna Innovations is proud of our rich tradition of working in close collaboration with our clients to develop the products that meet and exceed their needs for sensing, test & measurement, monitoring, and control solutions. A series of in-house technology innovations and strategic acquisitions guide us in our mission to enhance the safety, security, and connectivity of people by leveraging our expertise in fiber optic-based technology and the information it provides.

ABOUT SAMM Teknoloji: Established in 2003, SAMM Teknoloji, based in Turkey, is a global provider of top-tier services across five business segments. Specializing in fiber optic-based technologies and FBG-based single fiber sensors, the company operates in Telecommunication, manufacturing products like fiber optic cables and passive connectivity equipment, also known as “Connectivity Solutions.” SAMM Teknoloji leads in Electrical Heat Tracing and solutions for electrical underfloor heating and snow/ice prevention in the Heating Department. The IT Department focuses on cost-effective software and hardware development, serving the IT and IoT markets. Additionally, SAMM Teknoloji is an official sales partner for Raspberry Pi and Farnell in Turkey, showcasing its commitment to diverse offerings and excellence in Telecommunication, Electrical Heating, Electric Contracting, Instrumentation, IT, and IoT products.

ABOUT THE FIBER OPTIC SENSING ASSOCIATION. FOSA is a non-profit organization created in Washington, D.C. in 2017 with the mission of educating industry, government, and the public on the benefits of fiber optic sensing. FOSA is an affiliate of the FIBER BROADBAND ASSOCIATION (FBA). Through webinars, videos, white papers, public presentations, and public policy advocacy, FOSA provides information on the use of fiber optic sensing to secure critical facilities, enhance public safety, and protect the environment.

FOSA Premier Members include AP Sensing, Corning, CRALEY Group, Ditch Witch, Dura-Line, FEBUS Optics, Fibercore Limited, Graz University of Technology, Hifi, Luna Innovations (LIOS, OptaSense, Silixa), NEC Corporation of America, Network Integrity Systems, OFS, OZ Optics, Prysmian Group, SAMM Teknoloji, Sensonic, Smartpipe Technologies, Underline, the University of California–Berkeley, and VIAVI Solutions.