MTU Researching Drone Use for MDOT

Researchers at Michigan Tech are looking into the use of drones from a transportation perspective. Michigan Tech scientists are using the unmanned aerial vehicles to help the US Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovation Technology Administration and other agencies to develop low-cost, highly-efficient ways to handle tasks that range from mapping the condition of unpaved roads to understanding traffic jams. The $2.4 million project is designed to help transportation agencies save money and reduce risk to staff that would usually have to always be in a roadway, on a bridge, or inside a confined space to understand infrastructure condition.