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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
COOL TOOLS
NIMBLE TRIMBLE By Sara Schwartz
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GILE AND COMPACT, THE Trimble UX5, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is engineered to help mapping and surveying professionals quickly obtain aerial imagery and respond to emergency needs. It’s no surprise that several district and engineering labs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are increasingly using UAVs to capture both aerial imagery for mapping and inspection and real-time video. The Huntington District in West Virginia uses the Trimble UX5 to build maps, monitor permits, inspect levees, dams and roofs, and even monitor archaeological sites. Mac McCarty, land surveyor at the Huntington District, cited the Trimble’s built-in safety features, including a 30-degree catapult launch, which helps to quickly thrust the Trimble into the air, and its inflight avoidance procedures, which help it avoid flying wildlife. But what might be most impressive is the Trimble UX5’s camera — a large imaging sensor that captures very sharp, color-rich images even in dark or cloudy conditions and allows for quick feedback when time is of the essence. “Almost monthly we discover a new use for the technology,” said McCarty. “The quality of the imagery and the accuracy of the final product has just been amazing.”
A Corps employee launches the Trimble UX5 during a test flight near R.C. Byrd Locks and Dam, Gallipolis Ferry, W.Va. TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED; USACE
AERIAL IMAGES TAKEN BY THE TRIMBLE UX5
uRoof damage inspection in West Virginia
uFish hatchery in Gallipolis Ferry, W.Va.
uHydraulic dredging operation on the Ohio River