Author Type

Graduate Student

Semester Award Granted

Summer 2025

Submission Date

August 2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Sudhagar Nagarajan

Abstract

Seaports are essential for international commerce as they facilitate movement of cargo through global trade networks. Failure of a seaport to remain operational during a disruptive event, such as a natural disaster or security threat, not only affects that seaport and the economy it supplies but can have far reaching impacts on supply chains worldwide. Enhancing seaport resiliency is essential to maintaining functionality in the event of crises that pose a threat to trade continuity and economic stability. This research explores the efficacy of using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to enhance resiliency building efforts in three case studies representing different operational areas of a seaport: Infrastructure/construction, coastline replenishment, and seaport security. The ability of a UAS to adequately monitor these areas will be evaluated by (1) Examining UAS data that was collected monthly over a 5-year period and during test flights, (2) Identifying goals to measure the ability of the UAS to perform tasks (3) Evaluating these findings as a basis for developing best practices for UAS deployment in the future.

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