Title: A National Research Agenda for Intelligent Infrastructure,
Abstract: Our infrastructure touches the day-to-day life of each of our fellow
citizens, and its capabilities, integrity and sustainability are crucial to the
overall competitiveness and prosperity of our country. Unfortunately, the
current state of U.S. infrastructure is not good: the American Society of Civil
Engineers' latest report on America's infrastructure ranked it at a D+ -- in
need of $3.9 trillion in new investments. This dire situation constrains the
growth of our economy, threatens our quality of life, and puts our global
leadership at risk. The ASCE report called out three actions that need to be
taken to address our infrastructure problem: 1) investment and planning in the
system; 2) bold leadership by elected officials at the local and federal state;
and 3) planning sustainability and resiliency in our infrastructure.
While our immediate infrastructure needs are critical, it would be
shortsighted to simply replicate more of what we have today. By doing so, we
miss the opportunity to create Intelligent Infrastructure that will provide the
foundation for increased safety and resilience, improved efficiencies and civic
services, and broader economic opportunities and job growth. Indeed, our
challenge is to proactively engage the declining, incumbent national
infrastructure system and not merely repair it, but to enhance it; to create an
internationally competitive cyber-physical system that provides an immediate
opportunity for better services for citizens and that acts as a platform for a
21st century, high-tech economy and beyond.