(intro music)
- [Narrator] TxDOT is using unmanned aircraft vehicles
for an ever increasing number of applications.
The data captured by these systems saves time,
provides a much broader picture of the surroundings
and can sometimes go where man cannot.
But based on external conditions like wind, rain,
mist, smoke and lighting,
the data collected by these vehicles could be compromised.
- When you think about weather conditions,
there's a lot to it.
There is lighting.
There is turbulence due to the air
and the buffeting of the aircraft.
And so there's a flying considerations.
But there are also considerations
on how suboptimal weather conditions affect the data
that you're collecting.
- These devices are increasingly used for
a variety of applications.
You name it,
bridge inspections, construction monitoring
and even traffic incident management,
and this was one of the areas
that TxDOT was interested in exploring.
- That allowed us to evaluate how the UAS is operating
and how the data is being collected
in suboptimal conditions.
Because most accidents, as you would imagine,
happen when it's dark or dusk or at night,
and when it's rainy,
in conditions that are suboptimal.
So it was a real good fit for this research
for us to focus on that application.
And then we can interpret the results
to all the different things what we'd like to use a UAV for.
- With our colleagues at Texas A&M Corpus Christi,
we conducted computer simulations that mimicked the impact
of a variety of environmental conditions,
lighting, for example.
So we had morning, noon, afternoon, dusk, night.
But we also simulated the effect of built in LEDs
and also supplemental lighting.
Foggy conditions from three mile visibility,
which is basically no fog,
all the way down to 50 meters, 160 feet.
And then we processed all of that through software,
you know, photogrammetry software,
and looked at the impact.
- Most of it is just still pictures.
And the software we use,
it creates a 3D model.
So we can combine a whole bunch of different pictures
into one model.
And the big benefit is that
you don't really need to have a surveyor
out on the crash site anymore.
- We came up with a series of tangible recommendations
for the department.
The first recommendation was to establish a program
to use UAS-based platforms
to support traffic incident management activities,
including crash reconstructions.
- This particular research done by A&M was just stellar.
They did a perfect job.
And so they gave us tons of data back
and really defined when it makes sense to use UAV
in these conditions.
- [Narrator] For more information,
and to find the publications for this project,
please visit the TxDOT Research Library
at the link shown below.