WSDOT graffiti-fighting drones take flight in Tacoma, Olympia

TACOMA, Wash. - Tired of seeing graffiti defacing western Washington streets? A new pilot program involving drone technology aims to fix that.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is testing graffiti-battling drones to see if they can be used to remove tags from hard-to-reach places, like tall retaining walls, bridges and overpasses.

The drone is equipped with a spray nozzle that is linked to a paint supply on the ground, and an operator can position the drone anywhere the tethered hose can reach.

A prototype drone test sprays paint to cover up graffiti in Tacoma earlier this spring (Credit: WSDOT)

According to WSDOT, graffiti is an expensive problem to deal with, as it cost them over $815,000 and nearly 10,300 hours of labor solely on graffiti removal last year.

Not only is graffiti illegal under Washington state law, but it also damages state property and puts maintenance crews at risk. WSDOT says new graffiti sometimes appears days or even hours after an area is cleaned.

That's why an anti-graffiti drone, while it may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, could save the department a lot of time and money if the program is successful.

Mike Gauger, who leads WSDOT's Tacoma-area maintenance crew, suggested the idea. He got in contact with Aquiline Drones to collaborate on the design of a prototype system, which was completed in spring of 2024.

Mike Gauger flying a test drone during research and design last fall (Credit: WSDOT)

This makes WSDOT the first transportation agency to use drones to combat graffiti, though the department has previously used drones for other purposes, like bridge inspections and disaster response.

Currently, the drones are only being tested in the Tacoma and Olympia area. However, a full rollout of the drones could be difficult, partially due to existing laws.

Drones are only allowed to be flown by licensed operators, and they can't be used over active lanes of traffic, meaning the areas where they are used have to be temporarily closed off.

Despite receiving $1 million from the Washington legislature to research traffic camera technology for monitoring graffiti removal, WSDOT is still researching and evaluating the program to see if it will be implemented long-term.

WSDOT likely won't have a clear answer on the future of the graffiti-fighting drones until the end of 2024.