Transportation Infrastructure Assessment through the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Advances in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology have enabled these tools to become easier to use and afford. In a budget-limited environment, these flexible remote sensing technologies can help address transportation agency needs in operations, maintenance, and asset management while increasing safety and decreasing cost. The ever expanding diversity of types and sizes of UAVs also allows for their application to a variety of transportation needs. This paper will cover UAV applications for traffic monitoring using a blimp, confined space assessment using a micro quadcopter, and bridge deck inspection using a hexacopter to loft a high resolution digital camera and thermal camera. These demonstrations showed that UAV technologies provide many advantages to helping transportation agencies cost-effectively assess, manage, and maintain its resources, providing benefit to staff and the traveling public.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHD10 Standing Committee on Maintenance and Operations Management.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Transportation Research Board

    500 Fifth Street, NW
    Washington, DC  United States  20001
  • Authors:
    • Brooks, Colin
    • Dobson, Richard
    • Banach, David
    • Cook, Steven J
  • Conference:
  • Date: 2017

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; References;
  • Pagination: 13p
  • Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01627770
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 17-05629
  • Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Feb 27 2017 5:12PM