Investigation of Strategic Deployment Opportunities for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) at INDOT

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are increasingly used for a variety of applications related to INDOT’s mission including bridge inspection, traffic management, incident response, construction and roadway mapping. UAS have the potential to reduce costs and increase capabilities. Other state DOTs and transportation agencies have deployed UAS for an increasing number of applications due to technology advances that provide increased capabilities and lower costs, resulting from regulatory changes that simplified operations for small UAS under 55 pounds (aka, sUAS). This document provides an overview of UAS applications that may be appropriate for INDOT, as well as a description of the regulations that affect UAS operation as described in 14 CFR Part 107. The potential applications were prioritized using Quality Function Deployment (QFD), a methodology used in the aerospace industry that clearly communicates qualitative and ambiguous information with a transparent framework for decision making. The factors considered included technical feasibility, ease of adoption and stakeholder acceptance, activities underway at INDOT, and contribution to INDOT mission and goals. Dozens of interviews with INDOT personnel and stakeholders were held to get an accurate and varied perspective of potential for UAVs at INDOT. The initial prioritization was completed in early 2019 and identified three key areas: UAS for bridge inspection safety as a part of regular operations, UAS for construction with deliverables provided via construction contracts, and UAS for emergency management. Descriptions of current practices and opportunities for INDOT are provided for each of these applications. An estimate of the benefits and costs is identified, based on findings from other agencies as well as projections for INDOT. A benefit cost analysis for the application of UAS for bridge inspection safety suggests a benefit cost over one for the analysis period

Case Study of an Automated Mower to Support Airport Sustainability

This paper documents a case study of an automated mower to support sustainability at an airport. Mowing is an essential component of an airport’s Wildlife Hazard Management Plan (WHMP), which reduces the risk of birds and other wildlife to aircraft operations. Many airports have large areas of land (hundreds or even thousands of acres), which requires significant resources to manage and mow; experience at the Purdue Airport (KLAF) suggests that automated mowing may support economic and environmental aspects of sustainability. Automated mowing supports economic efficiency by reducing personnel requirements, although personnel are still needed for inspections, maintenance, and “mower rescue” if there is a malfunction (technical or field issue). Automated mowing supports environmental impacts by reducing local emissions since the mower is powered by electricity rather than gasoline; this benefit would be increased with the use of solar-powered mowers. Automated mowing may not be viable everywhere, and factors such as terrain, access to available power, acreage, and location on the airfield (including proximity to protected areas) must be carefully considered. Although automated mowing will not completely replace traditional mowing in the near future, autonomous mowers in remote areas may be an appropriate practice to support airport sustainability

Moving Toward Non-transcription Based Discourse Analysis in Stable and Progressive Aphasia

Measurement of communication ability at the discourse level holds promise for predicting how well persons with stable (e.g., stroke-induced), or progressive aphasia navigate everyday communicative interactions. However, barriers to the clinical utilization of discourse measures have persisted. Recent advancements in the standardization of elicitation protocols and the existence of large databases for development of normative references have begun to address some of these barriers. Still, time remains a consistently reported barrier by clinicians. Non-transcription based discourse measurement would reduce the time required for discourse analysis, making clinical utilization a reality. The purpose of this article is to present evidence regarding discourse measures (main concept analysis, core lexicon, and derived efficiency scores) that are well suited to non-transcription based analysis. Combined with previous research, our results suggest that these measures are sensitive to changes following stroke or neurodegenerative disease. Given the evidence, further research specifically assessing the reliability of these measures in clinical implementation is warranted

Synthesis of Automated Vehicle Legislation

This report provides a synthesis of issues addressed by state legislation regarding automated vehicles (AV); AV technologies are rapidly evolving and many states have developed legislation to govern AV testing and deployment and to assure safety on public roads. Topics include license and registration, operator requirements, insurance and liability, infrastructure, vehicle testing and operations, commercial vehicle operations and privacy. States are interested in supporting AV because the expected benefits include increased safety, increased capacity, and decreased congestion. Other expected benefits include increased productivity due to hands-free travel and increased mobility for people unable to drive themselves. The projected economic impact of AV is significant, with an estimated market of $7 trillion by 2050. Although speculative, this value indicates the dramatic impact that AV may have on the future of transportation. The benefits of AV may be significant, however, there are also potential challenges, including the potential for increased costs, liability issues, licensing issues, security concerns, privacy considerations, and cybersecurity issues, as well as job losses in the transportation sector. Legislative responses to this technology have varied significantly, depending on the state. Currently nineteen states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation related to AV, and four states have executive orders. Even if federal AV legislation is passed, there will still be an important role for states regarding AV licensure, registration, insurance, traffic laws, enforcement, infrastructure and emergency response. The objective of this research is to identify and synthesize current state legislation related to AV. The results provide important information as agencies and decision makers develop strategic plans for AV activities at every level