CASE C01 · US · 2016

MnDOT：分阶段开展的无人机桥梁检查研究，涵盖包括 Blatnik 大桥在内的 39 座桥梁

MnDOT 于2015年至2017年分阶段在39座桥梁上试用检测无人机。报告称平均节省成本40%，在 Blatnik 大桥上成本从约59,000美元降至20,000美元，工期从8天缩短到5天。有一座桥梁使用无人机反而成本更高，且需要动手操作的任务和狭窄空间仍超出其能力。

业主	Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)
服务商	—
地点	Duluth, Minnesota, United States (plus Nielsville, St. Paul and Stillwater)
机型	senseFly albris (prototype inspection UAS); Flyability Elios tested in Phase 3
传感器	RGB still/video camera (90° tilt), thermal infrared, ultrasonic proximity sensors

引入前

桥检车伸至桥面板下方，检查员乘吊篮或借助绳索作业，通常需要封闭车道。

一套不依赖 GNSS 的检查无人机系统拍摄了钢拱、桁架和涵洞构件，并采集了热成像。

指标	数值	依据
inspection cost (Blatnik Bridge)	about US$59,000 conventional (excluding mobilisation/travel) vs about US$20,000 with UAS	报告值
inspection duration (Blatnik Bridge)	8 days with four snoopers and an 80-ft lift vs 5 days with UAS	报告值
safety / traffic	some lane closures curtailed or eliminated (not quantified)	报告值
average cost saving (Phase 1–2 research)	40% on average; savings from avoided access ranged US$540–21,000 per bridge	报告值
bridge-by-bridge cost (12 bridges analysed)	e.g. Structure 62504: $3,660 → $1,020; Structure 27831: $2,580 → $540; but Structure 19538 cost more with UAS ($1,080 → $1,860)	报告值

注意事项与局限

Not every bridge was cheaper: on Structure 19538 the UAS-assisted inspection cost more than the traditional one, and cost analysis covered only 12 of 39 bridges.
Drones cannot perform hands-on tasks such as cleaning, sounding, measuring or tactile testing, so they supplement rather than replace the inspector.
The albris was not collision-tolerant enough for very tight spaces (box girders, small culverts); a caged drone was trialled next.
Figures come from MnDOT's research summary of a phased pilot, not from a full programme rollout.
Large drones could not enter some confined spaces, and operation still required substantial training and skill.

来源已核对: 2026-10-22