Public Sector
Caltrans Scales Remote Operations and Safety With NVIDIA-Powered Autonomous Drones
Caltrans
Objective
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) manages one of the largest and most complex transportation networks in the country. To maintain safety and compliance across thousands of active construction projects, the agency sought to modernize its inspection workflows to meet the growing scale and complexity of its infrastructure network. Facing workforce limitations and the need for higher-frequency monitoring, Caltrans launched the Scalable Operations and Advanced Remote Technologies (SOAR) program to deploy autonomous Skydio drones equipped with NVIDIA Jetson Orin™. This shift allows the agency to capture precise aerial data remotely, significantly reducing inspection times and improving safety for field crews.
Topic
Computer Vision / Video Analytics
Key Takeaways
From Days to Hours
- GPU-accelerated workflows transformed data processing times, turning weeks of manual work into hours of automated insight.
Remote Operations up to 100 Miles
- Autonomous Skydio X10 drones allow operators to conduct inspections from central command centers far removed from hazardous construction zones.
Enhanced Safety and Sustainability
- The program eliminates the need for workers to traverse dangerous sites and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing vehicle trips.
Navigating Safety and Scale in Infrastructure
Transit agencies like Caltrans have long relied on traditional inspection methods. The introduction of autonomous technologies opened up significant efficiency and safety optimization opportunities across Caltrans’ vast infrastructure network. Manual inspections require staff to physically traverse active construction sites and bridges, exposing them to traffic hazards and dangerous heights. They can also be quite time consuming, often requiring days or weeks to generate actionable data. Automated inspection and data collection promised to uplevel Caltrans’ methodology straightaway.
Data consistency was a broader challenge. Ad-hoc drone flights and manual measurements produced datasets that were difficult to standardize and compare over time, limiting Caltrans’ ability to track long-term project progress with precision. With roughly 1,200 active projects to manage under workforce capacity constraints, Caltrans needed a solution that could scale inspections without proportionate headcount growth.
Skydio
Taking Flight With Autonomous Inspection
Caltrans’ Division of Construction implemented the SOAR program, deploying solar-powered, Skydio Dock-based Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin to automate data collection and processing.
In a hybrid deployment model, captured aerial data is processed both at the edge and on on-premises GPU workstations. The technical stack leverages three integrated programs:
Esri ArcGIS serves as the NVIDIA-accelerated GIS platform, powering GPU-accelerated deep learning and geospatial analytics.
Trimble leverages NVIDIA Omniverse™ and GPU acceleration libraries to deliver digital-twin capabilities, enabling Caltrans teams to visualize infrastructure projects in 3D, understand project plans, and coordinate across departments with greater precision.
NVIDIA CUDA™ and GPU acceleration libraries power critical photogrammetry and AI inference workloads within partner software environments, including Esri ArcGIS and Trimble. The libraries enable rapid generation of 3D models and orthomosaics, turning raw aerial data into engineering-grade insights. NVIDIA RTX™ technology helps Caltrans ensure that high-resolution imagery is processed fast enough for routine operational use—a task that would overwhelm standard CPU-based systems.
Accelerating Insights and Safety
Automated inspection with Skydio drones has fundamentally changed how Caltrans approaches infrastructure monitoring. Persistent monitoring is faster and more effective than ever:
Operational Efficiency: Processes that once took days or weeks are now completed in hours. The GPU-accelerated workflows enable high-frequency data capture, providing consistent visibility into projects without daily on-site presence.
Remote Capabilities: Operators can now manage drone systems from command centers up to 100 miles away. This capability is vital for inspecting remote or hard-to-reach locations, as well as for rapid response during emergencies like landslides or earthquakes.
Safety and Sustainability: By reducing the need for physical travel to inspection sites, Caltrans has removed physical hazards to staff and measurably lowered greenhouse gas emissions, aligning operational efficiency with environmental goals.
“NVIDIA accelerated computing has been essential in turning autonomous dock-based drone operations into a scalable, production-ready capability. It allows us to move from periodic inspections to persistent monitoring while improving safety, efficiency, and data quality.”
Aaron Chamberlin
Program Lead, Caltrans SOAR
The Future of Infrastructure Is Autonomous
Caltrans continues to expand its SOAR program, aiming to scale autonomous deployments across additional districts and partner departments.
By leveraging NVIDIA accelerated computing, the agency is setting a standard for nationwide UAS deployment, proving that autonomous technology is the key to safer, smarter infrastructure management.
Discover how NVIDIA accelerated computing powers the future of autonomous operations.