ROV Surveillance for Transportation Management and Security
Principal Investigator:
Demoz Gebre-Egziabher, Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics
Co-Investigator:
- Theodore Morris, Information Tech Manager, Center for Transportation Studies
Project Summary:
This project is investigating the technical and operational issues associated with using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for surveillance in support of transportation infrastructure management and security. The objectives are to develop a UAS from off-the-shelf components and to identify technical and regulatory issues that need to be addressed before UASs can be routinely and effectively used in intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications. The work associated with the first objective resulted in the development of a low-cost, miniature, hand-launched aerial vehicle and supporting ground systems suitable for surveillance of highways and traffic infrastructure. Except for the ground station software, this system was built completely from off-the-shelf components. The researchers also developed software that enhances ground station operators' situational awareness and allows simultaneous analysis of the data transmitted from the aerial vehicle. Work on the second objective resulted in the development of an open-source guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) software suite for autonomous operation of small aerial vehicles.
Sponsors:
- ITS Institute (RITA)
Project Details:
- Start date: 09/2004
- Project Status: Completed
- Research Area: Transportation Safety and Traffic Flow