An unmanned aerial vehicle inspection method and system based on the Internet of Things

Abstract

The application provides a kind of unmanned aerial vehicle inspection method and system based on Internet of Things, the unmanned aerial vehicle inspection method includes: according to preset inspection demand, the inspection plan of the transmission line to be inspected is generated;Wherein, the inspection plan includes inspection area;Based on the inspection area, the transmission line covered by inspection equipment is determined;Wherein, the inspection equipment includes inspection unmanned aerial vehicle;According to the covered transmission line, in combination with the flight path data of flight path management platform, corresponding inspection task is generated, and the inspection task is sent to the inspection equipment through Internet of Things platform, so that the inspection equipment carries out inspection.Compared with prior art, the inspection plan can be generated according to the inspection requirement, and the inspection task of the inspection equipment is generated in combination with the flight path data.The inspection area can be inspected specifically, and the inspection efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of drone inspection, and more particularly to a drone inspection method and system based on the Internet of Things. Background Technology

[0002] Transmission lines typically cover remote and sparsely populated areas. The lines may be overhead via towers or laid directly on the ground. The complex nature of transmission line types, coupled with harsh terrain and weather conditions, can make routine manual inspections time-consuming and difficult, potentially posing serious safety risks.

[0003] Existing technologies have evolved to monitor and identify power transmission lines using cameras or other sensors, but this requires specialized algorithm development, resulting in high costs. On the other hand, sensors and cameras can only monitor within a preset radius, limiting the monitoring distance and range. This makes it difficult to achieve comprehensive coverage of blind spots or areas with sparsely laid lines, leading to low inspection efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an IoT-based drone inspection method and system to solve the technical problem of low inspection efficiency in existing technologies.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide an IoT-based drone inspection method, comprising:

[0006] Based on preset inspection requirements, an inspection plan is generated for the transmission lines to be inspected; wherein, the inspection plan includes the inspection area;

[0007] Based on the inspection area, the power transmission lines covered by the inspection equipment are determined; wherein, the inspection equipment includes inspection drones;

[0008] Based on the covered power transmission lines and the route data from the route management platform, a corresponding inspection task is generated and sent to the inspection equipment via the Internet of Things platform for the inspection equipment to perform the inspection.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the inspection equipment also includes online monitoring equipment;

[0010] The step of generating a corresponding inspection task based on the transmission line and the route data from the route management platform is as follows:

[0011] If the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the route data corresponding to the line number and the tower number is obtained from the route management platform according to the line number and tower number of the power transmission line to be inspected, and the first inspection task corresponding to the inspection drone is generated.

[0012] If the online monitoring equipment covers the transmission line to be inspected, a second inspection task corresponding to the online monitoring equipment is generated;

[0013] If neither the online monitoring equipment nor the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, a third inspection task is generated; wherein, the third inspection task is a manual inspection.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment, the UAV inspection method further includes: obtaining meteorological information from a meteorological database, and adjusting the first inspection task and the second inspection task based on the meteorological information.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment, the UAV inspection method further includes: reviewing the first inspection task and the second inspection task to determine the execution progress of the first inspection task and the second inspection task.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment, the step of generating an inspection plan for the transmission lines to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements specifically includes:

[0017] An inspection plan for the transmission line to be inspected is generated based on one or more of the preset daily inspection and maintenance strategies, special section inspection and maintenance strategies, and fault inspection strategies.

[0018] As a preferred option, the inspection plan includes a daily inspection plan, a special section inspection plan, and a fault inspection plan.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment, the UAV inspection method is applied to a UAV inspection management platform, and the Internet of Things (IoT) platform is connected to the inspection equipment through a unified hardware interface; the UAV inspection management platform communicates with the inspection equipment through the IoT platform based on the MQTT and HTTP protocols.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment, the inspection task includes the task execution time, the data collected, the type of the collected data, and the flight route.

[0021] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention also provide an IoT-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection system, including a plan generation module, an inspection management module, and an inspection execution module; wherein,

[0022] The plan generation module is used to generate an inspection plan for the transmission line to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements; wherein, the inspection plan includes the inspection area.

[0023] The inspection management module is used to determine the power transmission lines covered by the inspection equipment based on the inspection area; wherein, the inspection equipment includes inspection drones;

[0024] The inspection execution module is used to generate corresponding inspection tasks based on the covered power transmission lines and the route data of the route management platform, and send the inspection tasks to the inspection equipment through the Internet of Things platform for the inspection equipment to perform inspections.

[0025] As a preferred embodiment, the inspection equipment also includes online monitoring equipment;

[0026] The inspection execution module generates corresponding inspection tasks based on the transmission line and the route data from the route management platform, specifically as follows:

[0027] If the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module obtains the flight path data corresponding to the line number and the tower number from the flight path management platform according to the line number and tower number of the power transmission line to be inspected, and generates the first inspection task corresponding to the inspection drone.

[0028] If the online monitoring equipment covers the transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module generates a second inspection task corresponding to the online monitoring equipment;

[0029] If neither the online monitoring equipment nor the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module generates a third inspection task; wherein, the third inspection task is a manual inspection.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0031] This invention provides an IoT-based drone inspection method and system. The drone inspection method includes: generating an inspection plan for power transmission lines to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements; wherein the inspection plan includes an inspection area; determining the power transmission lines covered by inspection equipment based on the inspection area; wherein the inspection equipment includes an inspection drone; generating corresponding inspection tasks based on the covered power transmission lines and in conjunction with flight path data from a flight path management platform; and sending the inspection tasks to the inspection equipment via an IoT platform for inspection. Compared to existing technologies, this method can generate inspection plans based on inspection requirements and generate inspection tasks for the inspection equipment in conjunction with flight path data. It enables targeted inspection of the inspection area, improving inspection efficiency.

[0032] Furthermore, the inspection equipment includes inspection drones and online monitoring equipment, which can monitor and inspect the covered areas respectively. By utilizing the diversity of inspection equipment, the coverage of inspection or monitoring can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the drone inspection method based on the Internet of Things of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the drone inspection system based on the Internet of Things of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] Example 1:

[0037] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for drone inspection based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The drone inspection method includes steps S1 to S3 and is applied to a drone inspection management platform.

[0038] Step S1: Generate an inspection plan for the transmission lines to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements; wherein the inspection plan includes the inspection area.

[0039] In this embodiment, the power transmission line steps up the voltage of the generator's output power through a transformer, and then connects it to the grid via control equipment such as circuit breakers. Based on structure, power transmission lines can be mainly divided into two types: overhead transmission lines and cable lines. Overhead transmission lines consist of line towers, conductors, insulators, line hardware, guy wires, tower foundations, and grounding devices, and are erected above the ground. Most power transmission lines (whether overhead or cable) have a complex distribution and structure, typically including main lines and branch lines.

[0040] Preferably, the step of generating an inspection plan for the transmission line to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements specifically includes:

[0041] An inspection plan for the transmission line to be inspected is generated based on one or more of the preset daily inspection and maintenance strategies, special section inspection and maintenance strategies, and fault inspection strategies.

[0042] Specifically, the operation and maintenance strategy includes: the control strategy for transmission lines determined by the power grid management platform based on needs, which may be related to the control level of the transmission line, special section conditions, and equipment failure status. Routine inspections are periodic, routine checks of transmission lines. Special sections are sections of transmission lines with higher control levels or greater importance. Fault inspections are inspections of equipment or areas within the transmission line where a fault has occurred.

[0043] The preset inspection requirements can be verified for transmission lines, transmission line equipment, and the surrounding environment of transmission lines. The inspection plan refers to the actions to be taken to meet the inspection requirements according to a pre-determined workflow. The inspection plans can be categorized into daily inspection plans, special section inspection plans, and fault inspection plans. Furthermore, corresponding data formats and standardized templates can be configured for each category of inspection plans. Specific data formats can be pre-determined or formulated on-the-spot based on the details of each plan. In this embodiment of the invention, when determining the inspection plan, inspection requirements can be progressively decomposed into inspection tasks, making the inspection tasks goal-oriented and improving the matching between inspection tasks and inspection requirements. On the other hand, determining the inspection plan based on the operation and maintenance strategy achieves a hierarchical structure and improves standardization of the inspection plan.

[0044] Step S2: Based on the inspection area, determine the power transmission lines covered by the inspection equipment; wherein, the inspection equipment includes inspection drones and online monitoring equipment.

[0045] In this embodiment, the inspection task includes an inspection area. Specifically, the inspection area refers to the area corresponding to the power transmission line, power transmission line equipment, or the surrounding environment of the area where the power transmission line is located.

[0046] In the corresponding areas of the power transmission lines, the inspection drones and the online monitoring equipment are matched and spaced out according to the area location to improve the area coverage.

[0047] Preferably, the inspection drone includes, but is not limited to, fixed drone nests, mobile drone nests, virtual drone nests, and ordinary drones; the online monitoring equipment includes, but is not limited to, video monitoring devices, icing monitoring devices, micro-meteorological monitoring devices, conductor temperature monitoring devices, and micro-wind vibration monitoring devices; the inspection equipment also includes cameras.

[0048] Since each inspection device has a corresponding inspection radius, online monitoring equipment is usually fixedly installed. Drones, on the other hand, can be matched with specific inspection tasks by setting flight paths and their shooting radius. However, drones are limited by their battery power and have a maximum flight distance, thus limiting the inspection range. Furthermore, drones can be deployed in different areas based on their maximum flight distance.

[0049] In some application scenarios, the preset inspection requirements do not completely correspond to the transmission lines to be inspected. Therefore, the generated inspection plan and inspection area completely cover the transmission lines to be inspected, but also include some areas where there are no transmission lines. Thus, determining the transmission lines covered by the inspection equipment based on the inspection area specifically involves comparing the inspection area in the generated inspection plan with the coverage area of ​​each inspection device to determine the overlapping portion of the inspection area with the area covered by each inspection device. Then, all transmission lines in the overlapping area are identified as the covered transmission lines. By comparing and determining the transmission lines in the overlapping area, invalid data and irrelevant areas are eliminated, saving performance for subsequent generation of corresponding inspection tasks and improving the accuracy and targeting of the inspection.

[0050] Step S3: Based on the covered power transmission lines and the route data from the route management platform, generate corresponding inspection tasks and send the inspection tasks to the inspection equipment via the Internet of Things platform for the inspection equipment to perform inspections.

[0051] In this embodiment, generating a corresponding inspection task based on the transmission line and the route data from the route management platform specifically involves:

[0052] If the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the route data corresponding to the line number and the tower number is obtained from the route management platform according to the line number and tower number of the power transmission line to be inspected, and the first inspection task corresponding to the inspection drone is generated.

[0053] If the online monitoring equipment covers the transmission line to be inspected, a second inspection task corresponding to the online monitoring equipment is generated;

[0054] If neither the online monitoring equipment nor the inspection drone covers the transmission line to be inspected, a third inspection task is generated; wherein, the third inspection task is a manual inspection. By setting the first, second, and third inspection tasks, and by distinguishing the coverage range and characteristics of different types of equipment, existing inspection resources can be rationally allocated to improve inspection efficiency.

[0055] The inspection task specifically refers to the content determined for each inspection device in order to complete the inspection plan. In this embodiment, it includes the task execution time, the data collected, the type of the collected data, and the flight route.

[0056] As a preferred embodiment, the IoT platform connects to the inspection equipment via a unified hardware interface; the drone inspection management platform communicates with the inspection equipment through the IoT platform based on the MQTT and HTTP protocols. As an example of this embodiment, the hardware interface of the IoT platform may include USB Micro-B and USB-A, etc. MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is data-centric, while HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is document-centric.

[0057] HTTP is used for client-server request and response computations, while MQTT is an open machine-to-machine protocol. The network includes an MQTT broker responsible for coordinating interactions between MQTT brokers and transmitting data as byte groups. It offers lightweight characteristics and a publish / subscribe model, making it suitable for resource-constrained devices and reducing power consumption. Combining MQTT and HTTP protocols can effectively improve communication signal coverage, inspection efficiency, and the accuracy of data transmission.

[0058] As another example of this embodiment, the IoT platform can employ networking communication technologies, such as a fusion of 4G / 5G, OPGW, WAPI, or microwave. A hybrid networking communication system is a dynamic, autonomous local area wireless communication network with significant technical characteristics such as distributed nature, decentralization, self-organization, multi-service capabilities, long distance, and precise positioning. This communication system supports dynamic joining and leaving of members within the cluster, meeting the collaborative communication needs and application scenarios of large-scale, highly dynamic drone swarms. It is suitable for solving network communication problems in various complex and special environments, and is well-suited for application in power line inspection in complex environments and special channels.

[0059] Following step S3, the drone inspection method further includes: obtaining meteorological information from a meteorological database, adjusting the first inspection task and the second inspection task based on the meteorological information, and further sending control commands to the inspection drone and the online monitoring device, so that the inspection drone executes the adjusted first inspection task and the online monitoring device executes the adjusted second inspection task. Further, after adjusting the inspection tasks, the drone inspection method also includes: reviewing the first inspection task and the second inspection task through an auditing platform to determine the execution progress of the first inspection task and the second inspection task. Both the meteorological database and the auditing platform are connected to the drone inspection management platform.

[0060] As an example of this embodiment, the review platform can automatically review inspection tasks according to a review rule base, or it can review them manually, or a combination of both. In addition to reviewing the progress, it can also review the matching degree between the route data in the inspection task corresponding to the inspection equipment and the inspected transmission line. For example, it can combine the current weather conditions and the status of the inspection equipment to determine whether the inspection task can be completed. If it can be completed, the matching degree is high; otherwise, the matching degree is low.

[0061] Accordingly, refer to Figure 2 This invention also provides an IoT-based drone inspection system, including a plan generation module 101, an inspection management module 102, and an inspection execution module 103; wherein,

[0062] The plan generation module 101 is used to generate an inspection plan for the transmission line to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements; wherein, the inspection plan includes an inspection area.

[0063] The inspection management module 102 is used to determine the power transmission lines covered by the inspection equipment based on the inspection area; wherein, the inspection equipment includes inspection drones;

[0064] The inspection execution module 103 is used to generate corresponding inspection tasks based on the covered power transmission lines and the route data of the route management platform, and send the inspection tasks to the inspection equipment through the Internet of Things platform for the inspection equipment to perform inspections.

[0065] As a preferred embodiment, the inspection equipment also includes online monitoring equipment;

[0066] The inspection execution module 103 generates a corresponding inspection task based on the transmission line and the route data from the route management platform, specifically:

[0067] If the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module 103 obtains the route data corresponding to the line number and the tower number from the route management platform according to the line number and tower number of the power transmission line to be inspected, and generates the first inspection task corresponding to the inspection drone.

[0068] If the online monitoring equipment covers the transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module 103 generates a second inspection task corresponding to the online monitoring equipment;

[0069] If neither the online monitoring equipment nor the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module 103 generates a third inspection task; wherein, the third inspection task is a manual inspection.

[0070] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0071] This invention provides an IoT-based drone inspection method and system. The drone inspection method includes: generating an inspection plan for power transmission lines to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements; wherein the inspection plan includes an inspection area; determining the power transmission lines covered by inspection equipment based on the inspection area; wherein the inspection equipment includes an inspection drone; generating corresponding inspection tasks based on the covered power transmission lines and in conjunction with flight path data from a flight path management platform; and sending the inspection tasks to the inspection equipment via an IoT platform for inspection. Compared to existing technologies, this method can generate inspection plans based on inspection requirements and generate inspection tasks for the inspection equipment in conjunction with flight path data. It enables targeted inspection of the inspection area, improving inspection efficiency.

[0072] Furthermore, the inspection equipment includes inspection drones and online monitoring equipment, which can monitor and inspect the covered areas respectively. By utilizing the diversity of inspection equipment, the coverage of inspection or monitoring can be improved.

[0073] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In particular, it should be noted that any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention for those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A drone inspection method based on the Internet of Things, characterized in that, include: Based on preset inspection requirements, an inspection plan is generated for the transmission lines to be inspected; wherein, the inspection plan includes inspection area, daily inspection plan, special section inspection plan and fault inspection plan; Based on the inspection area, the power transmission lines covered by the inspection equipment are determined; wherein, the inspection equipment includes inspection drones; Based on the covered power transmission lines and the route data from the route management platform, a corresponding inspection task is generated and sent to the inspection equipment via the Internet of Things platform for the inspection equipment to perform the inspection. The inspection equipment also includes online monitoring equipment; The step of generating corresponding inspection tasks based on the transmission line and the route data from the route management platform is as follows: If the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the route data corresponding to the line number and the tower number is obtained from the route management platform according to the line number and tower number of the power transmission line to be inspected, and the first inspection task corresponding to the inspection drone is generated. If the online monitoring equipment covers the transmission line to be inspected, a second inspection task corresponding to the online monitoring equipment is generated; If neither the online monitoring equipment nor the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, a third inspection task is generated; wherein, the third inspection task is a manual inspection. The step of determining the transmission lines covered by the inspection equipment based on the inspection area specifically involves: comparing the inspection area in the generated inspection plan with the coverage area of ​​each inspection equipment to determine the overlapping part of the inspection area with the area covered by each inspection equipment, and then determining all the transmission lines in the overlapping area as the covered transmission lines.

2. The method for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection based on the Internet of Things as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drone inspection method further includes: obtaining meteorological information from a meteorological database and adjusting the first inspection task and the second inspection task based on the meteorological information.

3. The method for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection based on the Internet of Things as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drone inspection method further includes: reviewing the first inspection task and the second inspection task to determine the execution progress of the first inspection task and the second inspection task.

4. The IoT-based drone inspection method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of generating an inspection plan for the transmission lines to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements is as follows: An inspection plan for the transmission line to be inspected is generated based on one or more of the preset daily inspection and maintenance strategies, special section inspection and maintenance strategies, and fault inspection strategies.

5. The method for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection based on the Internet of Things as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drone inspection method is applied to the drone inspection management platform, and the Internet of Things platform is connected to the inspection equipment through a unified hardware interface. The drone inspection management platform communicates with the inspection equipment through the IoT platform based on the MQTT and HTTP protocols.

6. A drone inspection method based on the Internet of Things as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The inspection task includes the task execution time, the data collected, the type of the collected data, and the flight route.

7. An Internet of Things-based drone inspection system, characterized in that, The method employs an IoT-based drone inspection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; the drone inspection system includes a plan generation module, an inspection management module, and an inspection execution module; wherein, The plan generation module is used to generate an inspection plan for the transmission line to be inspected based on preset inspection requirements; wherein, the inspection plan includes the inspection area. The inspection management module is used to determine the power transmission lines covered by the inspection equipment based on the inspection area; wherein, the inspection equipment includes inspection drones; The inspection execution module is used to generate corresponding inspection tasks based on the covered power transmission lines and the route data of the route management platform, and send the inspection tasks to the inspection equipment through the Internet of Things platform for the inspection equipment to perform inspections.

8. The IoT-based drone inspection system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The inspection equipment also includes online monitoring equipment; The inspection execution module generates corresponding inspection tasks based on the transmission line and the route data from the route management platform, specifically as follows: If the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module obtains the flight path data corresponding to the line number and the tower number from the flight path management platform according to the line number and tower number of the power transmission line to be inspected, and generates the first inspection task corresponding to the inspection drone. If the online monitoring equipment covers the transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module generates a second inspection task corresponding to the online monitoring equipment; If neither the online monitoring equipment nor the inspection drone covers the power transmission line to be inspected, the inspection execution module generates a third inspection task; wherein, the third inspection task is a manual inspection.

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