SURVEY FINDS STATES USE DRONES FOR INSPECTIONS AND DATA COLLECTION

A recent report from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has determined that an increasing number of state departments of transportation are using drones for infrastructure inspections and data collection, resulting in a direct, bottom line result of cost and time savings.

AASHTO found that several state agencies are currently studying the use of drones and/or are using drones to good effect. They study also found that using a drone for a standard bridge inspection could costs as little at $250, compared to about $4,600 using established means.

AASHTO also published a Special Report that indicates that the use of drones are not only cost saving, but they improve safety, save time and decrease traffic congestion. Besides the bridge inspections, the most common uses of drones are for surveying and aerial photography. AASHTO reports that it is planning drone technology webinars to update the latest developments in the use of drones this coming the spring. A six minute video is also available on the AASHTO Transportation TV website.