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

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

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

An Integrated Framework for Fostering Human Factor Sustainability and Increased Safety in Aviation Ramp Operations

The aviation work environment has one of the highest accident rates of any industry sector in the United States, resulting in significant costs for both employee injuries and equipment damage. In fact, injury rates exceed rates found in areas that are widely recognized as hazardous, such as construction and mining, and it is estimated that aircraft ground damage costs are as high as 5 billion to 10 billion dollars per year. Purdue University’s Aviation Technology Department has conducted numerous safety and human factors studies in the past decade encompassing maintenance and repair operations, corporate flight departments, and over ten major airlines. Based on the accumulated knowledge gained from these studies, a systematic method to reduce workplace costs associated with aircraft damage and worker injuries has been developed. This concept paper summarizes the resulting best practices and methods, which are centered on four main themes: (1) organizational infrastructure, (2) systematic process, (3) measurement, and (4) education. Successfully addressing components related to these four areas has been a major driver and the key to successful ramp operations in the commercial passenger aviation sector. This framework has been used to successfully develop, implement, and maintain and manage human factors sustainability, which refers to creating and maintaining a sustainable environment in terms of the human factors needed to safely and efficiently conduct operations in the aviation environment

A Comparison of Airport Risks: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Sightings, Wildlife Strikes, and Runway Incursions

To provide a context for the potential threat of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) sightings on airport operations, this paper compares the characteristics of UAS sightings with two common airport threats: wildlife strikes and runway incursions. This study analyzed over 60,000 events in a three-year period (September 2016 to August 2019), including 6,551 UAS sightings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) UAS Sightings Report database, 47,574 wildlife strikes from the FAA Wildlife Strike database, and 6,041 runway incursions from the FAA Runway Safety database. The results suggest both similarities and differences among the airport threats. Both UAS sightings and wildlife strikes vary by time of year and time of day. UAS sightings and wildlife strikes farther from the airport occur at higher altitudes than sightings and strikes occurring close to the airport. However, UAS sightings are reported at higher altitudes than wildlife strikes, and the distance of UAS sightings from the airport is farther than that of wildlife strikes, in general. The severities of UAS sightings and runway incursions are similar. Pilots take evasive actions in three percent of UAS sightings, and runway incursions of severity A and B are also rare. Pilots of general aviation (GA) aircraft reported the most UAS sightings, and GA operations are also involved in more runway incursions. Considering the kind of airport affected, UAS sightings and wildlife strikes are more common at primary airports, notably large and medium hub airports, whereas runway incursions are more common at reliever airports. Generally, UAS have had a minimal impact on airport operations despite their growing prevalence, which reflects the overall success of integrating this new airspace user into the national airspace system

Innovative Airport Visual Aids to Enhance Situational Awareness and Flight Training for General Aviation

Runway incursionsare a threat to runway safety andhave been increasing in recent years. Incursions are categorized into three categories, pilot deviations (PD), operational incidents (OI), and vehicle pedestrian deviations (VPD). At general aviation airports, PDs are the most prevalent runway incursion type. Inadequate situational awareness is one of the human factors associated with PDs. Student pilots,pilots flying to an unfamiliar airport, ground operations personnel, and emergencyplanning and emergency responders can benefit from the use of visual aids that extend beyond an airport diagram or static Google Earth imagery. More robust visual aids can potentially increase situational awareness and reduce the risk of a runway incursion, and increase airfield familiarity through 360-degree photographs of the airfieldfacilities, including markings, signage, and intersecting taxiways/runways. This educational and informationaltool has the ability to increase familiarity of airfield characteristicsand increase safety

Utilizing the Systematic Literature Review in Aviation -- A Case Study for Runway Incursions

This research presents the process for a systematic literature review examining factors that contribute to runway incursions (RIs). A systematic literature review uses other research results as data for systematic analysis. Runway safety is a top priority. In the US, RIs have been increasing and typically three RIs occur every day. This paper identified 134 articles using 22 databases. Filtering criteria and analysis identified six contributing categories: human factors, airport geometry, technical factors, airport characteristics, environmental factors, and organizational factors. Recommendations for reduction of RIs and suggestions for further studies are presented based on these factors

Assessment Procedures for Paved and Gravel Roads

The funding available to local agencies in Indiana to manage roadways has decreased in recent years, and many agencies cannot provide adequate maintenance with the available resources. Consequently, agencies are doing everything they can to evaluate the least expensive method to maintain their roads that will meet their objectives and needs. In some cases, the most appropriate surface type is a paved road, and in some cases, it is a gravel road. The decision as to the most appropriate surface type depends on a variety of factors, such as cost, traffic volume, development and public input. The purpose of this study was to review the applicable research and develop an assessment procedure that local agencies in Indiana can use to help determine the most appropriate surface type for a given road

Observations of Trip Generation, Route Choice, and Trip Chaining with Private-Sector Probe Vehicle GPS Data

This paper presents an exploratory study of GPS data from a private-sector data provider for analysis of trip generation, route choice, and trip chaining. The study focuses on travel to and from the Indianapolis International Airport. GPS data consisting of nearly 1 billion waypoints for 12 million trips collected over a 6-week period in the state of Indiana. Within this data, there were approximately 10,000 trip records indicating travel to facilities associated with the Indianapolis airport. The analysis is based the matching of waypoints to geographic areas that define the extents of roadways and various destinations. A regional analysis of trip ends finds that travel demand for passenger services at the airport extends across a region spanning about 950 km. Local travel between land uses near the airport is examined by generation of an origin-destination matrix, and route choice between the airport and downtown Indianapolis is studied. Finally, the individual trips are scanned to identify trip chaining behavior. Several observations are made regarding these dynamics from the data. There is some sample bias (types of vehicles) and opportunities to further refine some of the land use definitions, but the study results suggest this type of data will provide a new frontier for characterizing travel demand patterns at a variety of scales