Usa Transport Agency Gets Fund For Drone Bridge Surveys

Massachusetts Department of Transportation has received US$1 million funding from the USA Government to accelerate its use of drones.

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – otherwise known as drones – can be used to collect data about bridges and other highway structures. Applications for drones technology include advanced bridge inspection, asset mapping and construction monitoring.

The funding will allow MassDOT’s Aeronautics Division to create a digital software systems infrastructure so that it can collect, store, process and disseminate drone data throughout the organisation. The technology will reduce costs, enhance inspection opportunities and allow MassDOT to monitor multiple construction projects at the same time.

This funding award coincides with media buzz about drone activity amid a recent spike in reports to the FBI. The US Department of Homeland Security issued a statement this week reassuring the public that the UAS activity did not represent a risk to safety and security. But it also recommended that the US government enact counter-UAS legislation.