By taking advantage of these tools, the sky is the limit. The degree of autonomy, technical capabilities, and sophistication of communication continued to expand, allowing possible integration of UAS in transportation infrastructure health monitoring and management. We have also seen a trend to modify the UAS design, making them operational in the mixed environment. “In recent years, the size of UAS platforms continued to decrease while steadily increasing payload capabilities, speed, range, and endurance. As an expert on UAS for transportation infrastructure applications, Ceylan had this to say: Halil Ceylan, Director of the Program for Sustainable Pavement Engineering and Research (PROSPER) and the ISU Site Director for the FAA-sponsored Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability (PEGASAS) Center of Excellence (COE) on General Aviation, is currently leading an FAA-sponsored project to develop recommended processes and procedures for using UAS to complement current methods of airport Pavement Management Program (PMP) inspection methods, as well as technical evaluations for various types of current and emerging UAS platforms and UAS-mounted sensor technologies that will lead to FAA-recommended specifications. The New Jersey DOT reported a cost saving of 15% by using UAS compared to conventional inspection methods for high mast light poles. Additionally, the Utah DOT recently completed the inspection of a construction project 25 days ahead of schedule, with about 2.6% cost savings by using UAS. For example, the Michigan DOT uses UAS technologies for structural inspection of bridges and to identify potential deterioration, such as the locations and sizes of subsurface delamination in concrete bridge decks. Many departments of transportation (DOTs) across the country are utilizing UAS to their advantage. Drones are often used to inspect bridge decks For example, the 2019 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) UAS/Drone Survey reported that a bridge deck inspection with UAS (i.e., estimated at about $1,200) can offer approximately four times lower costs than manual surveys (i.e., about $4,600). Inspection with UAS can often cost less than using traditional manual inspection. Additionally, they can be outfitted with different sensors: Red-Green-Blue (RGB) optical cameras, thermal, multispectral/hyperspectral, and LiDAR sensors, and can reach hard-to-reach locations, such as the underside of bridges. UAS operations are particularly effective for operations that are dangerous, as humans are not put at risk. It is expected that by 2025, transportation will be the second-largest market for drone use. In addition, in the transportation field, UAS can also be used to monitor and fix critical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and confined areas. In the US, drones are helpful when fighting wildfires, assisting emergency response and search and rescue operations, protecting endangered species and sensitive ecosystems, assisting in farm activities, and transporting medical supplies to remote locations and underserved communities. It is anticipated that by 2026, the US commercial drone market will exceed $6.30B. Currently, the estimated annual growth rate of drones in the US is approximately 6.4%. Approximately 8% of Americans own a drone, and about 15% have flown one. It is expected that nearly 1M drone units will be sold every year around the globe during this time.Īs of January 2021, about 1.3M recreational and more than 500,000 commercial drones were registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US. You may know it better as an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) or, more plainly, a drone.Īccording to the Drone Market Report, the global growth rate of the drone market is growing at an annual rate of 13.8%, rising from $22.5B in 2020 to over $42.8B in 2025. An uncrewed (unpersonned or unmanned) aircraft system (or UAS) consists of an uncrewed aircraft, ground control station, and command and control links.
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