Highway lighting maintenance is a critical yet hazardous and expensive task, requiring workers to operate at heights near traffic. Traditional methods involve bucket trucks or scaffolding, leading to lane closures, safety risks, and high labor costs. A potential solution could involve using drones to automate lightbulb replacement, reducing human risk and operational expenses while improving efficiency.

How It Could Work

Specialized drones equipped with grippers and tools could be programmed to locate, remove, and replace highway lightbulbs autonomously or with minimal human oversight. A ground-based control system could manage fleets of drones, scheduling maintenance during low-traffic hours. Over time, the system could expand to handle additional tasks like fixture cleaning or damage inspection.

• For highway authorities: Lower costs, faster repairs, and fewer traffic disruptions.
• For workers: Reduced exposure to dangerous conditions.
• For drivers: Better-lit roads, improving nighttime safety.

Key Considerations

One way to test feasibility would be through a phased approach:

1. Develop a prototype in controlled conditions to refine drone gripping and navigation.
2. Work with regulators to ensure safe operation near highways.
3. Run a pilot program on a small highway section before scaling.

Existing drone inspection services (like Skyspecs or Percepto) focus on monitoring rather than physical maintenance, so this approach could fill a gap by enabling hands-on repairs.

Potential Challenges & Advantages

Weather resistance and fail-safes (like emergency parachutes) would need testing to ensure reliability. However, long-term cost savings from reduced labor and traffic disruptions could justify development. Early adoption might also create opportunities for partnerships with lighting manufacturers or exclusive service contracts with transportation departments.

By automating a high-risk, repetitive task, this approach could make infrastructure maintenance safer and more efficient while keeping roads well-lit for drivers.