2016 AASHTO Subcommittee on TSM&O

Transcription

1 2016 AASHTO Subcommittee on TSM&O New Technology Trends for Transportation Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Transportation Purposes Steven J. Cook, P.E. Engineer of Operations & Maintenance Michigan Department of Transportation

2 UAV follow law breaking suspect How far can drone technology take us? Is it possible that, one day, dangerous high-speed police chases will be a thing of the past, as drones take on the pursuit role? Such a future could make our roads safer and less congested as the need for emergency vehicles is reduced.

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5 UAV flight from USCGC Mackinaw U.S. Coast Guard by law must keep channels/harbors open to navigation in the Great Lakes Objective: Enhance the USCG tools already available on board (such as binoculars and telescopes)..up to 1 - mile or line of site in 20 mph wind.ice conditions via photo and video

6 Popularity & Proliferation of UAVs UAVs have been around for a long time! Several million privately-owned UAVs in the U.S. The Consumer Technology Association estimated that 400,000 UAVs were purchased during the 2015 Christmas holiday season The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received more than 45,000 applications during the first two days of its registration program which began 12/21/2015

7 Safety Concerns Integrating UAVs Into the National Airspace System

8 Safety Concerns Ensuring Accountability

9 FAA Certification of Authorization (COA) No FAA fee for COA or Section 333 registration [FAA s website; 333s are only issued to universities and non-governmental (private) entities]. Engaging a company that specializes in COA and 333 exemption requests (~$1500) to prepare FAA compliant materials, will expedite the process (~4 months) and provide materials that FAA would very likely approve.

10 Challenges for Public Sector Use Federal Aviation Administration regulations State legislation Internal policies & procedures Public perception Liability

11 State Regulation of UAVs Michigan Legislature Session SB 432 Bans flight within 1,000 of the Mackinaw Bridge SB 487/HB Restrict operations over prisons/jails SB 549/HB Prohibits flight over State Capitol grounds SB 700. Bans flight over public lands, establishes operating limitations on UAS, specifies pilot licensing criteria for UAS operators HB Prohibits interference with a public safety activity (I.E. law enforcement or fire fighting) or the provision of a public utility HB Establishes limitations on UAS use for law enforcement & data gathering

12 UAS Benefits for Transportation Safety Minimize Lane Closures Mobility Savings Efficiency Legacy Liability Economic Development

13 UAS Applications Aerial inspections - infrastructure condition state and assets management Confined space inspections Traffic operations monitoring Photo imaging (high resolution photogrammetry) Thermal infrared technologies LiDAR surveying and mapping

14 UAV Platforms Bergen Hexacopter ($5,500) Mid-sized UAV Phantom ($800) Bergen Quad-8 heavy lift Manufactured in Vandalia, Michigan Micro UAV ($150) Blimp ($1,000)

15 Bridge Maintenance Inspection

16 Bridge Maintenance Assessment & Asset Mgt Waterproof UAV for underside imaging of bridges over water

17 Non-Destructive Evaluation of Bridge Elements Used to detect surface conditions Bridge deck delamination, potholes, cracks, patching, etc. Overlapping imagery can be used to generate 3D models to characterized condition state of deck bridge 17

18 Transportation Infrastructure Forensic Scour failure January 16, 2016, in Greece (University of Michigan) Failure location was physically inaccessible due to river Failure was mapped using high resolution photogrammetry principles Mapped using 649 photos from a UAS at different points of view within minutes Modeling the information from the field provided: 3D point cloud Longitudinal cross section Horizontal plane section to remove the bridge deck Bridge pier displacement, horizontal rotation and vertical inclination

19 Traffic Operations Construction site imaging

20 Capability to fly in confined spaces MDOT Pump Stations Is it safe to send a person in? unlit spaces assess environmental condition state (air quality, etc.) Successfully tested with live video feed via iphone Confined Space Inspections

21 Mapping Condition State of Unpaved Roads 3D point cloud of an unpaved road using photo/image reconstruction Aerial photo of unpaved road from UAV 3D mapping of potholes on unpaved road

22 UAV Thermal Infrared Scanning Detection of subsurface condition Infrared imagery automatically detects delamination (left, green polygons)

23 Michigan State Police - Crash Reconstruction

24 Manual vs Unmanned Ariel System (UAS) Cost Comparisons Example: Bridge Deck Inspection MANUAL $4,600 UAV ~$250-$500 (does not include data processing) User Delay Cost $14,600

25 MDOT UAS Phase II Research (April year project) 1. MDOT rec d FAA COA in March and MTU rec d a Section 333 Exemption 2. Data collection capabilities 3. Use broad sensing technologies for three (3) MDOT assets 4. Ensure data collected accuracy/quality compared to current data collection systems at MDOT 5. Provide Implementation Plan, User Guidance Document, and Training 6. Determine the return on investment (benefit/cost analysis)

26 I d Rather Be..

27 Thank you!