Integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems Data Collection Into Day-to-Day Usage for Transportation Infrastructure – A Phase III Project

  • Project overview: Unmanned/uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) offer advanced capabilities for transportation infrastructure monitoring and condition assessment. This Phase 3 project explored four UAS use cases: traffic operations, bridge inspection, construction inspection, and LiDAR-based design surveys - and their integration into MDOT databases and workflows. Field data collections across Michigan demonstrated how UAS methods generate high-resolution geospatial outputs for MDOT operations. Project report can be found here. Key results included:
    1. Traffic Operations: Origin-destination analysis and traffic counts.
    2. Bridge Inspection: Automated detection of spalls/delaminations and 3D bridge models.
    3. Construction Inspection: Production rates for concrete/asphalt work and BIM data.
    4. LiDAR Surveys: High-resolution 3D models for design surveys.
  • Role: Research Assistant
  • Tools: Labeling tool
  • Contributions 1: Data labeling for data collected on Williamston Road (I-96) Traffic Corridor.
  • Contributions 2: Data analysis for OD insights and vehicle counts validation.
    Test