Using UAV Technology to Inspect Bridges
| Event Date: | July 5, 2017 |
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UAV inspecting defects in the bridge girder
Hunter Buxton (USU), Leslie Campbell (Purdue) and Sattar Dorafshan (USU) flying UAV getting a different look at defects
Hunter Buxton (USU), Leslie Campbell (Purdue) and Sattar Dorafshan (USU) flying UAV getting a different look at bridge girder specimens
Professor Marc Maguire of Utah State University was the first out-of-state researcher to use UAV's to inspect the S-BRITE Center's steel bridge Probability of Detection (POD) specimens.
On July 5th and 6th, Hunter Buxton and Sattar Dorafshan from Utah State University, with support from Purdue's Ph.D. candidate Leslie Campbell, flew their UAV's as part of a research project. The UAV's were used to get a look at different defects in the bridge girder specimens using optics and sensors on the UAV, rather than sending an inspector in a manlift. UAV-assisted inspection of bridges is being researched at several universities currently. The concept is that a UAV might give an inspector the ability to identify surface defects in bridge components from the ground. This innovative type of inspection could help gain access to certain locations that have unfavorable conditions for human access. Much work is still needed in this field to ensure accuracy and efficiency. These and other objectives are what brought the researchers from Utah State University to the one-of-a-kind S-BRITE Center to utilize the POD specimens.
Photos of the day's event:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/jtrp/38w261