Unpaved Roads Data Collections

1. Unpaved Roads Data Collections Richard J. Dobson (rjdobson@mtu.edu), Colin Brooks, Chris Roussi, Ben Hart, Dave Dean - MTRI

2. Remote Controlled Helicopter • Bergen Tazer 800 • Weight: 5.22kg, 12.75kg loaded • Max flight time: 18 minutes • Max Payload: 10kg • GPS IMU: Full autopilot system with the capability of flying preprogrammed waypoints

3. Remote Controlled Helicopter

4. Ground Station • Set waypoints for helicopter collect • Google Earth interface • Ability to set the altitude and speed

5. Ground Station

6. Ground Station

7. Uploading Waypoints to the Helicopter

8. Data Collects • Total flight time: 16 minutes (not including a 2 minute reserve) • Flight time for a 200 m section: 4 minutes • During collects helicopter is flown at 2 m/s and at an altitude of 25 m and 30 m (below 100’), rural areas only • Camera Used: Nikon D800 • 36.3 MP resolution • 55 mm prime lens

9. Unpaved Road Characteristics • Unpaved roads have common characteristics • Cross Section (Loss of Crown) • Facilitates drainage, typically 2% - 4% (up to 6%) vertical change • Sloping away from the centerline to the edge • Measure the profile every 10' along the road direction • Able to detect a 1% change across a 9'-wide lane • Potholes • <1', 1'-2', 2'-3', >3‘ width bins • <2”, 2”-4”, >4” depth bins • Ruts • Detect features >5”, >10' in length, precision +/-2” • Corrugations (washboarding) • Classify by depth to a precision of +/-1” • <1”, 1”-3”, >3” • Report total area of the reporting segment affected • Roadside Drainage • System should be able to measure ditch bottom • Relative to road surface within +/-2”, if >6” • Detect the presence of water, elevation +/-2”, width +/-4” • Float aggregate (berms) • Surface type • Surface width • Collected every 10', with a precision of +/- 4”

10. Site Preparation • Road divided into 50 m sections (for test flights) • Road was blocked during flights

11. Distress Measurements • Measurements are taken of all distresses within the segment • Potholes • Rutting • Washboarding • Loose aggregate

12. Remote Controlled Helicopter Demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBNQzM7xGQo

13. Piotter Rd. and Garno CollectNovember 8, 2012

14. Helicopter CollectPiotter Rd.

15. Helicopter Data – Piotter Rd.25 m Altitude

16. Helicopter Collect Garno Rd.

17. Helicopter Data – Garno Rd.25m Altitude

18. Resolution from 25m at Garno Rd.

19. Aerial Collect • Aircraft: Cessna 172 • Average air speed: 65 Knots (~75 mph) • Altitudes flown: 500 and 1000 feet • Nikon D800 with 105 mm prime lens

20. Aerial CollectPiotter

21. Aerial Data – Piotter Rd.500 ft Altitude

22. Aerial CollectGarno Rd.

23. Aerial Data – Garno Rd.500 ft Altitude

24. 2013 Collects • Planned addition of Bergen Hexacopter • Compare & contrast capabilities of single-rotor helicopter vs. multi-rotor helicopter • Fly rural unpaved roads with variety of distresses • New aerial collect with 200 mm lens • Camera will be mounted to the door of a Cessna 152 - nadir • Working with John Sullivan of Aerial Associates Photography, Inc., as recommended by President of Professional Aerial Photographers Association Chuck Boyle • 2013 collection details will be documented in Deliverable 7-A – Field Deployment Plans report, due 5/30/2013