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Technology is increasingly helping communities stay safe by identifying problems before they become crises. For postdoctoral researcher Mehrdad Ghyabi, that mission has centered on using drones, computer vision, and autonomous sensing systems to monitor critical infrastructure and provide engineers with more reliable information about structural performance.
As a civil engineering researcher at George Mason University, Ghyabi investigated how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can serve as intelligent inspection tools for bridges and other infrastructure. Rather than relying solely on traditional sensors attached directly to a structure, his work uses drone-captured video and computer vision algorithms to measure structural deformations from a distance. By transforming ordinary video imagery into engineering data, these approaches can reduce inspection costs, improve efficiency, and increase access to hard-to-reach locations.
Ghyabi's research also explored ways to enhance the quality of motion measurements by filtering noise from deformation signals and integrating the resulting data into digital twin models. These virtual representations of physical infrastructure can help engineers better understand structural behavior and support informed maintenance and operational decisions.
A major milestone in his work was the publication of “Vision-Based Measurements to Quantify Bridge Deformations” in the ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering. The study demonstrated that computer vision methods can produce bridge movement measurements comparable to those obtained from conventional instrumentation, highlighting the potential of UAV-enabled monitoring systems to support safer, smarter, and more resilient infrastructure.
Today, as a member of George Mason’s Injury Analytics Lab, Ghyabi continues advancing computer vision and AI technologies that transform visual data into actionable insights. His work pushes beyond traditional engineering methods, embracing emerging technologies to address complex societal challenges. Through innovative research that improves the safety, resilience, and management of critical infrastructure, Ghyabi demonstrates how George Mason researchers are helping shape smarter solutions for the future.