(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014-05-06)
Irizarry, Javier; Johnson, Eric N.
This project explored the feasibility of using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) in Georgia
Department of Transportation (GDOT) operations. The research team conducted 24 interviews with
personnel in four GDOT divisions. Interviews focused on (1) the basic goals of the operators in each
division, (2) their major decisions for accomplishing those goals, and (3) the information requirements for
each decision. Following an interview validation process, a set of UASs design characteristics that fulfill
user requirements of each previously identified division was developed. A “House of Quality” viewgraph
was chosen to capture the relationships between GDOT tasks and potential UAS aiding those operations.
As a result, five reference systems are proposed. The UAS was broken into three components: vehicle,
control station, and system. This study introduces a variety of UAS applications in traffic management,
transportation and construction disciplines related to DOTs, such as the ability to get real time, digital
photographs/videos of traffic scenes, providing a "bird’s eye view" that was previously only available with
the assistance of a manned aircraft, integrating aerial data into GDOT drawing software programs, and
dealing with restricted or complicated access issues when terrain, area, or the investigated object make it
difficult for GDOT personnel to conduct a task. The results of this study could lead to further research on
design, development, and field-testing of UAVs for applications identified as beneficial to the Department.