In Utah, drones are hovering near avalanches to
watch roaring snow. In North Carolina, they’re
searching for the nests of endangered birds. In
Kansas, they could soon be identifying sick cows
through heat signatures.
Public transportation agencies are using
drones in nearly every state, according to a
new survey by the American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials. The
report released Monday finds a sharp increase
in their use over the last few years, showing that
governments as well as hobbyists have rapidly
adopted the technology.
In 2016, the nonprofit group found no state
transportation agency was using drones every
day. Now, 36 states have certified drone pilots
on staff. When the survey was done this month,
allbutonestatewasusingdronesinsomeway.STATES TURN TO DRONES TO PREDICT AVALANCHES, SPOT WILDLIFE
Image: Hans Pennink