Robert Blunt, P.E.
Senior Project Manager
VHB
The Practical Application of Using UAVs for Bridge Inspections
VHB is a leader in the use of UAVs as a practical tool for everyday bridge inspections. Robert will share his experience using UAVs to supplement traditional bridge inspection techniques. Multiple examples of success, challenges, and lessons learned will be provided. Robert will also discuss some of the recent research the UAV inspection team has been involved with. The University of Maine hosted the team to perform multiple test flights, pushing today’s technology and pilots to the limit in a controlled testing environment.
Robert Blunt, P.E. Bio
Robert is a Senior Project Manager and Chief Inspector for VHB based out of the Augusta, Maine, office. Robert has been involved with the inspection, design, and construction of transportation engineering projects for over two decades. For the past five years, Robert and his team of inspectors and pilots have been advancing the science and craft of inspecting bridges by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to supplement routine inspections. Recently, Robert was the subject matter expert for the FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center – NDE Research for the Collection Analysis and Interpretation of Data Obtained from Unmanned Aircraft Systems.