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Ohio Will Test Use of Drones to Monitor Traffic Conditions
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The state of Ohio plans to study the use of drones to monitor traffic and roadway conditions from above.
The three-year, $5.9 million study involves DriveOhio, a new state office that coordinates smart vehicle technology efforts, and the Ohio State University College of Engineering.
The project will be tested in what’s been named the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor, a 35-mile stretch of highway just northwest of Columbus.
Unmanned aircraft will monitor traffic and incident response along the corridor in conjunction with the state’s current fixed-location traffic camera system. Drones will interact with sensors and communication equipment to feed data into the state’s Traffic Management Center.
The project will also use technology to ensure that drones don’t collide with each other or with manned aircraft.