Aircraft Image-Guided Target Selection for Wire and Pipe Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inspecting long, parallelly arranged electric wires or pipes using an aircraft, such as a drone, requires efficient target specification to ensure accurate inspection.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft control apparatus with a display unit showing captured images, an input unit for drawing lines to select targets, a selection unit to identify inspection targets, and a command generation unit to direct the aircraft to photograph the selected targets while moving along them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If an aircraft is used to inspect long, parallelly arranged electric wires or pipes, then inspection coverage is improved, but target specification becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the inspection task into two main segments: (1) capturing images of the inspection area using the aircraft's image capture unit, and (2) allowing the operator to manually specify the target by drawing a line on the captured image. This segmentation separates the broad area coverage function from the precise target selection function, resolving the contradiction between inspection coverage and target specification ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary step where the operator draws a line on the captured image to specify the target. This line-drawing operation serves as a mediator between the broad area inspection capability and the precise target identification requirement, making target specification intuitive and easy even when multiple parallel wires or pipes are present.
2Measurement precision
If manual target specification is used in captured images, then inspection accuracy is improved, but operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a simplified copy of the captured image as the interface for target specification. Instead of requiring complex coordinate input or detailed target parameter entry, the operator works with a visual copy (the displayed image) and simply draws a line to specify the target. This copying approach maintains inspection accuracy while minimizing operation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or manual target specification methods (such as physical measurement tools or detailed coordinate input) with a graphical interface approach. The operator interacts with the displayed image through simple line drawing, substituting complex operational procedures with an intuitive graphical operation that maintains precision while reducing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft control apparatus (20) includes a display unit (210), a display (220), an input unit (230), a selection unit (240), and a command generation unit (250). The command generation unit (250) acquires an image that has been generated by an image capture unit (350) of an aircraft (30). The display unit (210) displays, on the display (220), the image acquired by the command generation unit (250). The image includes at least one electric wire or at least one pipe that could be an inspection target. The input unit (230) displays, according to an input from a user, a line within the image displayed on the display (220). The selection unit (240) selects an inspection target by use of the line displayed by the input unit (230). The command generation unit (250) generates command information for the aircraft to photograph the inspection target while moving along the inspection target, and transmitting the command information to the aircraft (30).