Drones can be used to inspect portions of rail bridges that otherwise would be inaccessible.Photo – Unmanned Experts Inc.
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BNSF workers deploy a multirotor drone to inspect a rail bridge. Photo – BNSF Railway Co.
That's the message that Unmanned Experts leaders hope to share with others in the rail industry. The company uses UAVs to produce reports that meet federal standards for bridge inspections and feature high-resolution images to better illustrate any problems. In addition, Unmanned Experts' reports are interactive and allow users to focus on specific findings.
The company also uses a process known as computer vision analysis to track trends over time. For example, a railroad could compare several reports to keep tabs on a crack or other flaw in the bridge. Another possible application involves monitoring areas of corrosion, such as rust.
Unmanned Experts also thoroughly trains its drone operators on proper railroad bridge inspection techniques, Wierzbicki says.
The company aims to help out in the data management realm, too: Unmanned Experts has created a process to organize the photos drones take.
Amping up efficiency
In addition to bolstering safety, using drones can help drive down costs and improve efficiency. While UAVs won't necessarily replace the need for human inspection crews, railroads could use the technology to more efficiently deploy workers, says Insitu's McDuffee.
"If you can get a large-scale, big-picture look from an airborne solution, you can surgically place crews to make repairs or to confirm an anomaly in the track, as opposed to requiring [workers] to go out and roll down hundreds of miles of track," he says.
UAVs also could ease railroads' project management burdens. For example, project staff may not need to travel to the site of a bridge inspection because drones are providing them with up-to-date, high-resolution images of the structure.
The technology could play a role in railroads' positive train control (PTC) efforts, as well.
"UAVs are helping with the implementation of PTC by assisting in the surveying of sections of our right of way and rail yards, as well as the validation of the various assets needed to implement PTC, including radio towers, switch locations and signage," Graetz says.
Drones also might prove useful in a security context. For instance, railroads could deploy a drone ahead of trains to check for external threats. UAVs also could be used to detect vandalism and theft, adds BNSF's Graetz.
And in the event of a derailment or chemical spill, drones could be flown ahead to assist first responders. Sensors even could be installed on drones to detect airborne gases or contaminants after a spill.
A sensory experience
Adding sensors to drones opens up a host of possibilities.
"A variety of sensors can be flown on these systems to detect anything from soil moisture content to track alignment issues and cracks in the rails themselves," says Insitu's McDuffee.
That's something that may be beneficial for those in the agricultural industry. PrecisionHawk's drones feature sensors that can assess water quality and perform vegetation analyses.
The latter function also could help railroads with their maintenance-of-way and vegetation management plans, says Thomas Haun, executive vice president at PrecisionHawk.
"The focus is being able to get a different piece of information than [clients] are already acquiring, and being able to acquire that piece of information very easily," Haun adds.
Still, railroads face a slew of regulatory challenges regarding drone use. For example, UAVs need to weigh less than 55 pounds, per FAA rules. Additionally, drones must be flown within the line of sight from the operator, which isn’t ideal for monitoring or securing hundreds of miles of track.
Drone regulation also varies by state.
"We've got a patchwork quilt of regulations across the country," says Insitu’s McDuffee. "Even if the FAA's concerns about flying are allayed, we've still got to deal with state and local entities who are attempting to prohibit or restrict drone use over their airspace."
The FAA does provide waivers to its rules on a case-by-case basis. For example, PrecisionHawk has obtained a waiver that allows the company to perform beyond line-of-sight flights.
In addition to the regulatory hurdles, railroads need to figure out how they'll incorporate drones into their existing workflows and weigh the technology's overall value, PrecisionHawk's Haun says.
As long as railroads can adequately address those issues, "there shouldn't really be any major challenges in being able to meet their business needs," he adds.
PrecisionHawk has worked with railroads in the past and will continue to do so, says Haun, although he declined to name specific clients.
"We work in several different industries, rail being one of them, and I believe it'll continue to be an important one," he says.
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