Eyes in the Sky Drones help states maintain infrastructure. by Mary Elizabeth Lonergan
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ith a low hum, a spider-like robot hovers overhead. Just 15 years ago, its presence over a bridge or public roadway might have drawn attention or caused anxiety. Today, though, it’s just a drone doing its job — evaluating the safety of the concrete underfoot.
Commercial drone use has risen sharply since 2016, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) created new exemptions allowing for increased drone operation in the U.S.
ISSUE 1 2022 | CSG CAPITOL IDEAS
Government officials quickly realized the potential for drones to assist in key infrastructure projects. Beginning in 2017, a federal program allowed 10 state, local and tribal governments to conduct advanced work with drones. (The FAA and professional operators often refer to drones as Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS.) In 2020 a new program called BEYOND launched to continue working with eight of the original 10 participants.
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The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is participating in the program. The Nation had looked for ways to get involved in aviation projects as early as 2016, and it was selected as the only tribal nation to participate in the BEYOND program in 2020, said James Grimsley, who serves as executive director of Advanced Technology Initiatives with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and also serves as a Kansas transportation commissioner. “Technology can be an equalizer for rural and historically underdeveloped areas,” Grimsley said, referring to drones and emerging aviation technology. “It allows us to leapfrog on infrastructure problems.” Pointing to the 11,000 square miles comprising the Choctaw Nation, Grimsley said using drones for roadway inspections and traffic reductions can lead to better outcomes for communities. “As we begin to equalize drone routine delivery, we can reduce traffic on roads. We see a plethora of benefits in health, safety and a slow-down on deterioration [of roads],” he said.
Grimsley said the Choctaw Nation is also using drones for agricultural purposes, like easily locating lost cattle or examining crops. Kansas is seeing similar results. Bob Brock, director of aviation for the Kansas Department of Transportation, said drones have had positive impacts for agriculture and aviation, the top two industries in the state. Drone usage has also improved safety. Through the BEYOND project, Kansas has been able to provide tower and bridge inspections without putting staff at risk or impeding traffic. “In order to inspect a (light) tower in a high-wind environment like Kansas, it has to achieve a balance of cost and safety and it is possible for a 60-foot tower to be damaged by the wind, structurally, to the point it needs to be taken down,” he said. Brock said a ladder will not work, but a drone allows his team to inspect the tower properly and determine any next steps. “That saves us about $15,000 for every tower that otherwise would have to be taken down…That’s a major economic benefit,” he said. North Carolina, another state participating in the BEYOND program, created the first state system to issue permits for government and commercial drone operators in 2016 and has hosted multiple workshops to educate government and commercial users on how drones can improve efficiency and safety and reduce costs. North Carolina Department of Transportation Aviation Director Bobby Walston said that in 2017, the UAS program was able to publish results from a North Carolina case study involving the North Carolina Highway Patrol Collision Reconstruction Unit. “The study showed drones drastically reduce the time and cost it takes to reconstruct collisions, compared to traditional ground-level methods, decreasing impacts to motorists and improving safety for North Carolina Department of Transportation personnel. The study propelled drone use by the State Highway Patrol for this purpose, which continues today,” he said.
