Region Info
University of North Dakota

Photo courtesy of University of North Dakota

University of North Dakota (UND) has been a national leader in the development and application of Autonomous Systems with a strong emphasis on uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) development and deployment through the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences UAS program, the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS), and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) beyond visual line of sight program. To address the needs of transportation infrastructure monitoring and construction, the Advanced Transportation Infrastructure Center (ATIC) has been established in the college of Engineering and Mines. UND ATIC acts as an umbrella to advance autonomy through scientific and engineering research and to train skilled workforce. ATIC administers UND partnership with the North Dakota Department of Transportation through the Transportation Technology Research Institute (TTRI), with region 8 University Transportation Center through the Center for Transformative Infrastructure Preservation and Sustainability (CTIPS), and with other funding agencies interested in use of the autonomy for preservation and monitoring. UAS integration with Artificial Intelligence (AI) for real-time defect detection in steel structures, validation of various nondestructive evaluation and testing (NDE & T) for concrete bridge deck condition assessment, development of advanced noncontact sensing for steel corrosion detection and fouling and moisture detection in railroad, development of UAS for highway construction monitoring, use of 3D printing concrete for construction of transportation infrastructure, and evaluation of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies for highway infrastructure are among the past and current research project and focus areas.