Transportation and traffic safety is a primary concern among the Rural, Isolated, Tribal, or Indigenous (RITI) communities in the U.S. Although emerging technologies (e.g., connected and autonomous vehicles, drones) have been developed and tested in addressing traffic safety issues, they are often not widely shared in RITI communities for various reasons. This research aims to explore, understand, and synthesize the opportunities and challenges of applying drone technologies to alleviate or resolve traffic safety and emergency related issues within RITI communities. The project team first sent out online surveys to communities on the outer Pacific coast of Washington State and selected the City of Westport as the study area based on the feedback. A pilot study using drones for mapping and sensing in Westport was then conducted, followed by two community meetings to explore potential drone applications. With the three outreach activities, it was found that the current needs in the communities for drone application are the education of the drone-related knowledge, including the training for remote pilot certification (drone license) and drone operations. Findings of this research will help guide the project team to set up specific drone-related programs in the Westport area in future research.
Research Approach and Stages
Community Partners
This study team partnered with City of Westport and Ocosta Junior-Senior High School. Westport is a small rural incorporated City on the Pacific Ocean coast in Grays Harbor County, WA, with (i) Small population (higher in median age); (ii) Low income (poverty rate is almost double that of Seattle); and (iii) Most productive marina in WA for commercial fishing vessels (100+ million pounds of seafood per year)
Ocosta School District serves a diverse rural community including the City of Westport, unincorporated areas of Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties, and the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe. The total minority enrollment is 43%, and 78% of students are economically disadvantaged. Its elementary school includes North America’s first tsunami vertical evacuation structure, funded entirely by a local property tax levy, demonstrating strong local commitment to safety and multi-generational survival.
Phase III: Drone After School Program
Curriculum:
Student Activities
Reports and Publications:
Current Progress and Future Plan
Team Members:
- PIs: Jeff Ban (UW CEE), Daniel Abramson (UW UDP)
- Graduate Students: Yiran Zhang, Sarah Lukin, Ziyang Liu
Sponsors:
- USDOT / CSET
- NSF