Tuam researcher wins gold medal for road safety technology

By JACQUELINE HOGGE TUAM researcher Anthony Winterlich has been awarded a prestigious European award for road safety for his work on enhancing the safety of pedestrians. Anthony Winterlich, son of Sean and Helen of Hilltop Close, Tuam, was one of five people to receive gold medals at the YEAR 2012 awards in Athens this week.[private] Anthony is currently studying for a PhD with the Connaught Automotive Research Group in NUI Galway. He has already achieved a BE in Electronic and Computer Engineering and a H Dip in Applied Science (Mathematics) from the university. His research concerns the improvement of technology for pedestrian identification, which is a key challenge in enhancing the protection of vulnerable road users. The judging panel said his methods to improve pedestrian imaging treatment will greatly support the industry to develop reliable advanced driver-support systems to save pedestrians' lives. The competition, supported by the European Union, provides visibility for promising young researchers specialising in surface transport (road, rail and waterborne). Anthony was among a group of winners from France, Italy, Switzerland and the UK to receive awards from Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science at the Transport Research Arena in Athens.[/private]