Case Study: Caltrans improves highway project inspections and cuts costs with Skydio autonomous drones

Caltrans tracks 2,200+ highway projects with Skydio drones and saves hundreds of thousands in claims

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) faced the challenge of efficiently monitoring over 2,200 active highway construction projects valued at $14 billion while being significantly understaffed, with over 100 vacancies. To improve the efficiency of their project management and inspections, they turned to Skydio to expand their drone program.

Caltrans deployed Skydio's autonomous drone technology, including dock-based systems for automated flights, to streamline data collection across its projects. This solution from Skydio resulted in significant time and cost savings, helping to prevent costly construction mistakes. The program has already used drone-captured images to settle contractor disputes, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars on individual claims and enabling more consistent monitoring with limited personnel.

Caltrans