Dubai motorists watch out, drones to give traffic alerts

Multitasking drones will be used to monitor the condition of roads and analyse RTA infrastructure. - Illustrative photo

Dubai - "Drone deployment will begin second quarter of 2017 to monitor the streets and send back the information to the RTA control centre," said Khaled Al Awadhi, RTA's director of Automated Collection System.

by Angel Tesorero

Published: Tue 22 Nov 2016, 4:51 PM

Last updated: Wed 23 Nov 2016, 4:48 PM

What the drones do
> Monitor traffic
> Check for road accidents
> Survey condition of roads
> Do structural analysis of RTA infrastructure
> Do digital scanning > Render 3D images

Drones will be deployed on Dubai roads middle of next year to monitor the traffic 24/7, check if there are any accidents and inspect the condition of the roads and major public transport stations, a senior Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said on Tuesday.
"This is part of RTA's innovation," Khaled Al Awadhi, RTA's director of Automated Collection System, told Khaleej Times. "Drone deployment will begin second quarter of 2017 to monitor the streets and send back the information to the RTA control centre."
Live traffic feed will be sent to the RTA but the public will not yet gain access to this at the initial stage of the project, according to Al Awadhi. The RTA, however, will use push notifications (via apps and social media) to inform the public of road hotspots. Drones will also be used to inform the motorists of available parking spaces.
Al Awadhi explained that the RTA will divide Dubai into different fly zones for the remotely-piloted unmanned aircraft.

"The number of drones to be deployed has not been decided yet but basically the idea is to monitor major roads like Shaikh Zayed Road, 24/7," Al Awadhi noted.
"By deploying the drones, we can immediately see if there is any accident on the road and we can immediately dispatch an ambulance if needed. We are basically using the drones for quick intervention to ensure public safety," he added.
The drones will also be used to survey the condition of the roads and conduct structural analysis of RTA buildings, metro and tram stations, and other RTA infrastructure. The drones can conduct complete digital scanning and render 3D images.
But the drones will not be used to report on traffic and road violations as this is under the purview of the police, according to Al Awadhi.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eesa Bastaki, president and CEO of University of Dubai, suggested during the RTA Innovation Week forum on robotics to use drones to dissipate thick fogs, which cause major road mishaps.
"Drones can be used to dispense saline solutions and the thick fog will evaporate," Bastaki said.
"Drones can also be used to change traffic light bulbs and they can take pictures of accident sites and send initial information to ambulances," the university president added.
To ensure public safety, Al Awadhi said they are working with civil aviation authorities to register and regulate the drones. They are also studying the final specifications of each drone and the total cost of the project has not yet been revealed.
Al Alwadhi said the RTA will showcase its drones on Wednesday at Burj Park in Downtown Dubai. A prototype will be deployed to do analytics of the Dubai Water Canal and the information will be beamed live at the park.
angel@khaleejtimes.com

Tasks drones can undertake include clearing fog, changing traffic lights
Dr. Eesa Bastaki, president and CEO of University of Dubai, at the RTA Innovation Week forum on robotics, suggested using drones to dissipate thick fogs which cause major road mishaps.
"Drones can be used to dispense saline solutions and the thick fog will evaporate," Bastaki said. "Drones can also be used to change traffic light bulbs and take pictures of accident sites."
To ensure public safety, Al Awadhi said they are working with civil aviation authorities to register and regulate drones. They are also studying each drone's final specifications; total cost of the project has not yet been revealed.
Al Alwadhi said the RTA will showcase its drones on Wednesday at Burj Park in Downtown Dubai. A prototype will be deployed to do analytics of the Dubai Water Canal and the information will be beamed live at the park.
angel@khaleejtimes.com