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FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers are testing flexible thin-film solar panels on highway camera poles—a design built to withstand storm-force winds and keep roads monitored when the grid goes dark.
Key points
- Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation, are developing a solar-powered backup system for highway traffic cameras that can operate independently of the electrical grid.
- The project, led by Professor Simon Foo of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, uses flexible Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar panels that wrap around camera poles and are designed to withstand hurricane-force winds.
- When Hurricanes Idalia and Debby caused power outages across north Florida, FDOT reported that cameras along more than 100 miles of Interstate 10 went dark, leaving emergency responders without real-time road data.
- If the two-year, FDOT-funded project succeeds, it could allow highway cameras to operate fully off-grid during disasters and reduce per-camera energy costs.
- The prototype is currently being tested at a site near the FAMU-FSU Engineering campus in Tallahassee.
When hurricanes knock out power across Florida, emergency responders lose one of their most critical tools: the highway cameras that let them monitor road conditions in real time. A team at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is working to change that.
Partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), researchers are testing flexible, thin-film solar panels that wrap around existing camera poles and are engineered to stay functional through hurricane-force winds. The goal is cameras that keep running when the grid does not.
How Does Solar Power Keep Traffic Cameras Running in a Hurricane?
The project centers on second-generation Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells—a flexible photovoltaic technology that bends 360 degrees to conform to curved and irregular surfaces. Unlike rigid silicon panels, which require separate mounting hardware, the CIGS panels wrap directly around camera poles, reducing wind load and eliminating the need for additional structural reinforcement.
“Our project is unique,” said Simon Foo, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the joint college, who leads the research. “The idea of using solar panels to power CCTV cameras is not new. But what is novel here is the use of flexible solar cells instead of rigid silicon solar cells. These are what we call second-generation thin-film solar cells. The type we are using is the Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) solar cells that are 360° bendable to fit all kinds of irregular surfaces.”
The CIGS cells are less energy-efficient than traditional crystalline silicon panels but offer structural advantages that make them better suited for storm-prone regions. Their low profile minimizes aerodynamic drag and reduces the risk of panel separation during high winds.
“During a hurricane or tornado, you need equipment that can withstand the wind,” Foo said. “Our goal is to help FDOT restore operations quickly after disaster strikes.”
Why Does FDOT Need Off-Grid Traffic Cameras?
The practical stakes became clear during the 2023 and 2024 hurricane seasons.
“Recent hurricanes like Idalia and Debby showed just how important it is for these technologies to function properly,” said James Landini, the FDOT collaborator on the project. “When the grid went down, more than 100 miles of Interstate 10 cameras went dark, leaving us without critical information.”
With no camera feed to consult, Landini said, teams had to physically drive highway corridors to assess conditions—a process that sometimes extended more than a week.
The researchers are evaluating whether CIGS panels can reliably power cameras during extended grid outages and whether the system offers a cost-saving alternative to conventional power infrastructure. A successful system could save hundreds of dollars per camera annually, according to the research team.
Student Engineers Move From Classroom to Highway
Two undergraduate and graduate students came to the project directly from Foo’s photovoltaic engineering course.
Joshua Nable, who recently completed his bachelor’s degree, and Ethan Myers, a master’s student, both joined after taking that course. Their work moved from academic exercises to live hardware testing.
“This project lets me use what I learned in class to solve real-world problems,” Nable said.
“Off-grid power systems and solar technology have always interested me,” Myers said. “When I heard about this research, I jumped at the chance to be part of it.”
The team’s current prototype consists of a camera mounted on a pole wrapped with two 200-watt solar panels and backed by lithium phosphate batteries. It stands near the FDOT Structures Building, adjacent to the FAMU-FSU Engineering campus in Tallahassee.
“We looked for commercial solar panels that could be deployed across Florida and the FDOT network,” Nable said. “Our goal is for these cameras to run fully autonomously, with no grid required.”
What Research Is Being Done on Next-Generation Flexible Solar Cells?
Two doctoral students are leading the data analysis side of the project and exploring whether the college could eventually manufacture its own flexible photovoltaic materials.
Mirza Sanita Haque, whose research focuses on polymer solar cells, is analyzing performance data from the prototype and looking beyond CIGS toward materials the team might develop in-house.
“We’ll know if this will work in the near future and hopefully one day we can build our own flexible panels right here at FAMU-FSU,” Haque said.
Monira Khanom Mim recently joined the project and will contribute to summer research on the data analysis effort.
Foo sees the doctoral work as foundational to a longer research arc. “If this project succeeds, it will inspire my doctoral students to design even more efficient, flexible solar cells for a range of applications,” he said.
Two-Year Project Backed by FDOT and City of Tallahassee
The research is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation and supported in kind by the City of Tallahassee. It runs over a two-year period, with the prototype phase currently underway.
Editor’s Note: This article was edited with a custom prompt for Claude Sonnet 4.6, an AI assistant created by Anthropic. The AI optimized the article for SEO/GEO discoverability, improved clarity, structure and readability while preserving the original reporting and factual content. All information and viewpoints remain those of the author and publication. This article was edited and fact-checked by college staff before being published. This disclosure is part of our commitment to transparency in our editorial process. Last edited: 06/16/2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering solar traffic camera project?
Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering—the joint college between Florida A&M University and Florida State University—are developing a solar-powered system to keep highway traffic cameras operational during power outages caused by hurricanes and other disasters. The project is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation and uses flexible thin-film solar panels mounted on camera poles.
What type of solar panels are being used, and how are they different from standard panels?
The project uses Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells, a second-generation photovoltaic technology that can bend 360 degrees. Unlike rigid silicon panels, CIGS panels conform to the curved surface of a camera pole, reducing wind resistance and eliminating the need for separate mounting hardware. This makes them better suited for Florida’s hurricane-prone environment.
Why do traffic cameras go offline during hurricanes?
Most highway traffic cameras rely on the electrical grid for power. When hurricanes knock out grid power—as Hurricanes Idalia and Debby did along more than 100 miles of Interstate 10 in Florida, cameras lose power and go dark. Emergency responders are then left without real-time road visibility, sometimes forcing physical highway surveys that can last more than a week.
Who is leading the research at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering?
The project is led by Simon Foo, a tenured Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Foo has been with the college since 1990 and formerly served as chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. He is collaborating with FDOT’s James Landini and a team of graduate and undergraduate student researchers.
Could this solar camera system be scaled across Florida’s highway network?
That is the goal. The current prototype—a camera on a pole equipped with two 200-watt solar panels and lithium phosphate batteries—is being tested near the FAMU-FSU campus in Tallahassee. The team is evaluating whether the system can operate fully off-grid and whether it is cost-effective enough for statewide deployment by FDOT.
What comes next for the project?
The team is collecting performance data from the prototype and analyzing whether CIGS cells can sustain reliable power through extended grid outages. Doctoral researchers Mirza Sanita Haque and Monira Khanom Mim are leading data analysis and exploring next-generation flexible photovoltaic materials. Long-term, Foo and his students hope to develop flexible solar panels of their own design at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.