Webinar: Drone Technology Integrated into Dam Safety Inspections and Evaluations

During recent years the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drone technology for the inspection and monitoring of dams and levees has increased.  This rate of integration is, in part, due to FAA regulation revisions and the advantages regarding personnel safety, flexibility, speed and volume of data acquisition, and cost.

This webinar presents an overview of drones and how this technology can be incorporated into dam safety inspections and evaluations.  Although drones are a cost-effective and efficient contribution to inspections, there are regulatory requirements for use and challenges with data acquisition—things to know before you fly.  These include various flight rules, authorizations, accuracy requirements, flight strategies and site conditions, shadowing, and handling and processing large amounts of geospatial data.  This webinar presents insights into these challenges and common pitfalls to encourage the appropriate use and application of this emerging technology.

This webinar also highlights the advantages of drone technology, why it is well suited to dam and levee safety applications, and how it can complement and provide new approaches to observe and inspect dams and levees.  Included is a selection of recent site inspections that incorporated drone technology to successfully gather information and allow an inspection team to more safely and efficiently observe areas that are not accessible or difficult to access.