The data collected will help test a set of algorithms developed by MTRI, a branch of Michigan Technological University located in central Michigan.
“The contract is to help commercialize computerized analysis and assessment of unpaved roads,” said Aaron Lawrence, Woolpert GIS expert and UAS technology developer, in a release. “Michigan Tech has some algorithms to detect potholes, rutting, damage, etc., through high-resolution imagery and 3D point clouds, which would be used to assess and address unstable roads.”
The drone is intended to provide a fast, safe and cost-effective collection to better understand where road material is lost and what damage there is to these roads., the company said.
“If I’ve got a 25-ton truck on a dirt road, and the road bank is unstable, that would be a safety hazard,” Lawrence said. “The key is identifying these issues before something bad happens.”
Woolpert has been employing drones for multiple industries that require remote and highly accurate imagery collections.
With 24 offices across the U.S., Woolpert has 213 employees in Beavercreek and 609 across the country.