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Company Develops Waterproof Computer
Missoulian.comBY the Billings Gazette BILLINGS - In an industry with few of its own tools, THI RiverWorks Inc. has come up with a shockproof, waterproof computer just for river restoration. Called the RiverWorks Rapid Assessment System, the $2,500 unit combines a digital camera, Bluetooth wireless technology and a GPS receiver to make observations while performing assessments, monitoring or inspecting. “Because the industry is so new, it was borrowing technology and tools from other industries,” said Michael Sprague, CEO of THI Riverworks. “Tools specific for its use hadn't been created.” But by working through Montana State University's TechLink center, a technology transfer agency, RiverWorks was hooked up with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory for a joint project to test and refine the software program. The Corps is the chief regulatory agency for the nation's river restorations. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation later kicked in $120,000 in funding for the project, along with other private funding sources. “We can collect two to three times as much data now than we could before,” Sprague said. In announcing its support in 2002, John Berry, then-executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, said, “The grant to THI recognizes the opportunity for systemic change in our nation's approach to river restoration.” Contacts
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