US: New Mexico State University has been selected by the US Bureau of Reclamation to conduct the first dam inspection using an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The Bureau of Reclamation gave NMSU $35,000 for the project to inspect Elephant Butte Dam in New Mexico. The research project will gather information with UAS as a tool for infrastructure inspection in the future using light detection, ranging, infrared, photogrammetry and HD video. Researchers believe that it will help determine issues and damages in infrastructure, including cracks, spalls and other subsurface defects such as unwanted moisture, erosion or other surface changes to the dam and spillway.
Source: LCSUN
