The Property Drone Consortium (PDC), a collaboration consisting of insurance carriers, roofing industry stakeholders and other supporting enterprises, has announced a new research initiative with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
The program will assess the usefulness of various types of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and sensors for up-close property inspection. RIT recently announced its membership within the consortium, as well as named remote sensing with UAS as a signature research initiative at the university.
Within the past year, the PDC has secured a number of federal regulatory approvals, including Section 333 exemption grants. The group says it has been working closely with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety on research focused on the collection and processing of intelligent images using drones and their subsequent assessment for property exteriors, including roof-damage detection.
“RIT looks forward to applying its expertise in remote sensing, sensor technologies and machine learning to help the Property Drone Consortium to utilize unmanned aerial imaging to its fullest potential,” says Carl Salvaggio, an RIT professor.
“We have never before had access to the data that these platforms and miniaturized sensors will allow us to collect,” Salvaggio continues. “This data will enable us to see many roof maladies and allow our students to develop methods for automatically identifying these features from the imagery – enhancing the insurance and roofing industries’ ability to do an even better job of protecting their workers and the public they serve.”
