A Purdue University professor’s invention that measures concrete strength for highway traffic won gold at the Edison Awards in its Best New Products competition on April 18 in the Critical Human Infrastructure category, according to the award’s website.

The Wavelogix Rebel Concrete Strength Sensing System uses electronic sensors that are embedded into a fresh pour that can measure the material’s strength levels in real time and convey when highway pavement is strong enough for traffic, according to the university. 

The product, developed by civil engineering professor Luna Lu, who founded Wavelogix in 2021, went to market in December 2023. Prior to that, the Indiana Department of Transportation, along with Purdue and Wavelogix, installed the devices into the future I-465 interchange to I-69 south on Indianapolis’ south side, the university announced in July 2023.