A pair of engineers with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have developed software that they hope will change the way engineers assess structural damage.

Doctoral student Ebrahim Mohammadi say the software, co-created by Assistant Professor Richard Wood, uses data gathered from remote sensing technology, such as drones and LIDAR

Wood says the software mines photographs and LI-DAR scans for what he calls “point clouds”, or points in 3D space

Wood says the software uses the gathered data to evaluate where damage in a building is most likely to be. He adds the goal is to improve decision-making in the future of infrastructure.

Wood says they are looking for industry partners to further develop and integrate the technology.