This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) only and is not a request for proposals. Responses are in no way a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or otherwise pay for the information solicited. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Responses will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the results of the review. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packer and Stockyards Administration GIPSA, Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) is conducting market research to determine the existence of commercial sources capable of providing an existing hand held light weight portable device or capable of manufacturing a hand held light weight portable device which will assist FGIS inspection personnel in visually examining the interior of railroad freight hopper car(s) (car) from ground level eliminating the need for them to climb nearly 16 feet to the car’s top to examine its interior through 27 inch compartment hatch cover openings on its top. FGIS performs this examination as a service to determine if the car’s interior is clean, dry and suitable to carry various agricultural products. USDA developed and field tested a prototype to determine the feasibility of performing examinations of hopper cars from ground level. The prototype consisted of a video camera attached to a lightweight frame which was held over the hopper car’s opening on the top of the hopper car from the ground by an inspector. FGIS found that performing examinations using this method is possible, but that the prototype device was too clumsy to be practical. DESCRIPTION OF USDA DEVELOPED PROTOTYPE: A commercial webcam (Logitech Orbit, 640 x 480 pixel resolution, with motorized pan and tilt – weight 9 ounces), mounted at the end of a lightweight wooden framework (14 feet high with an arm extending over the railcar) and connected to a laptop computer by a USB cable. The 14 foot upright portion was constructed in two sections, one 8 feet long and the other 7 feet long, which could be bolted together at the site of the hopper car stowage examination. The horizontal arm had a total length of 96 inches. The camera was mounted 72 inches from where the arm was bolted to the upright portion of the framework. The arm extended 18 inches out past the camera. Two triangular projections were bolted to the bottom of the arm on either side of the camera. These projections rested on the inside edges of the compartment opening to support the camera’s weight and center it over the hopper car compartment opening. The arm also extended 6 inches on the other side of the upright portion, where the end of the arm was bolted to a brace. OBJECTIVES: Develop an improved device to allow the USDA personnel to examine the interior of hopper cars while standing on the ground. The device must have: 1. Light weight material; 2. Ease of collapsing the device and extending or reassembling it by one person at the side of the hopper car; 3. Stability; 4. Capability and ease of viewing the interior of the hopper car; 5. Ability to view the gaskets around the compartment hatches; 6. Protection from shock if the device come into contact with an overhead electrical wire. SCOPE OF WORK: The contractor shall design and build one (1) portable light weight handheld device incorporating one or more video camera which will allow USDA personnel to visually examine with ease the interior of railroad hopper cars and meet the above objectives. REQUIREMENTS: Color video camera with a field of view of approximately 40 degrees or greater and resolution of 640 x 480 pixels or greater; camera must be able to pan and tilt; wireless; lightweight and very stiff support that the camera will be mounted on and can be handheld by the USDA inspector; a viewing screen on the vertical part of the support t about eye level which will display the color image from the camera without loss of resolution. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS: USDA is seeking information, comments, recommendations, and statements of capabilities from interested parties with related and continuous experience in designing, developing or manufacturing these or similar type devices. Interested parties are encouraged to provide a response to this RFI. Responses shall contain sufficient documentation to convey the organization’s capability to provide the defined device. Responders shall provide an overview of their company. This overview shall include: Company name; a contact person’s name, phone number and email address; a brief description of company history; business classification status in accordance with NAICS code 541990 defining a small business as revenue under $5.0 million; and an explanation of core services company currently provides to customers, The closing date for the receipt of responses is AUGUST 29, 2006 at 10:00 A.M. CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME. Responses this RFI may be submitted to Joanne Mann by fax (612) 370-2136, or email to
[email protected] , referencing RFI-06-53322