Showcasing Cutting-Edge Pavement Technology at USDOT Future of Transportation Summit

Arizona State University’s Pavement Group presented their research at the prestigious USDOT Future of Transportation (FoT) Summit. This event, organized by National University Transportation Centers and led by Carnegie Mellon University’s Safety21 National UTC, aimed to showcase research and technological developments for transportation’s future. The summit focused on enhancing coordinated research, highlighting impactful projects, and identifying challenges in the transportation sector. It brought together experts across various focus areas, including improving mobility, promoting safety, reducing cybersecurity risks, preserving the environment, and extending infrastructure life. The FoT Summit provided a platform to present the impact of federally funded research within the transportation community.

On August 13^th to 15^th, 2024, Naaga Vedula represented ASU pavement research group, presenting his research on “Unmanned Aerial-Vehicle (UAV) Assisted Real-Time Construction Quality Support System for Pavements”, supported by the National Center for Infrastructure Transformation (NCIT). The study utilized UAV equipped with thermal sensors to identify and quantify temperature differentials in asphalt pavements. The study developed a protocol to analyze thermal data, detect non-uniform mat temperatures, and examine cooling patterns. Additionally, the research explored the use of deep learning models to track roller movements and their correlation with pavement density levels. This innovative approach identified improved spatial coverage thus providing near real-time feedback to the contractor for enhancing the quality assurance in pavement construction.