Bridge Inspecting with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles R&D

The project will be executed in two (2) phases, i.e. Phase I, the Research or Technical Phase, and Phase II, the Implementation Phase. Phase I will commence with surveys, data gathering, and analysis pursuant to provide recommendations for two instrumented Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (UAVs) for demonstration to determine their application, feasibility, suitability, practicality, and effectiveness according to a defined rubric centered around routine bridge inspection activities. The Research/Technical phase will finish with a report on the findings of the demonstration project, identifying the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of the use of UAVs in routine bridge inspection work in Louisiana. The Second phase, i.e. the Implementation Phase, will utilize the informational and educational fruits of the technical research phase for Workforce Development, Outreach Activities, and Education. Workforce development will include disseminating the results through conferences, meetings, workshops, the project website, and webinars to educate and train professionals in the transportation industry, educating students and practicing engineers. The Workforce Development activities will provide critical information to both students and practicing engineers pertaining to the deployment of UAVs in bridge inspection, enabling them to gain an understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by Instrumented-UAV technologies. Outreach activities will recruit undergraduate and underrepresented groups, engaging high school students in the project effort.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $94000
• Contract Numbers:

  17STLSU11

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Transportation Consortium of South-Central States

  Louisiana State University
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803
• Project Managers:

  Hassan, Marwa

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Louisiana at Lafayette

  104 University Circle
  Lafayette, LA  United States  70503
• Principal Investigators:

  Gopu, Vijaya

  Darby, Paul

• Start Date: 20170508
• Expected Completion Date: 20181108
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Data collection; Deployment; Drone radar; Education and training; High school students; Inspection; Outreach; Surveys
• Geographic Terms: Louisiana
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Bridges and other structures; Education and Training; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01634814
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Consortium of South-Central States
• Contract Numbers: 17STLSU11
• Files: UTC, RiP
• Created Date: May 14 2017 11:14AM