Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Evaluate the Reflectivity of Highway Markings

Abstract

Highway markings on pavement are important for road users in providing continuous information to drivers for controlling their vehicles orderly and safely. Good reflectivity of highway markings will lead to their functional efficiency. Nowadays, highway marking reflectivity can be measured by a survey vehicle with installed equipment in the field. This might pose the risk to the vehicle, take a long time for data collection and cause inconvenience to other drivers. This manuscript proposes the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or drone to collect reflectivity data through photographs and analyze them by an image processing technique. Subsequently, the analyzed data are compared with ones from the traditional measurement currently implemented by the Department of Highways. Lastly, this manuscript will evaluate the new technology if it can be replaced the traditional measurement with its accuracy and limitations.