Drone Flight Planning Using Asset Operating Data for Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Human inspection of assets is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often impractical due to location, size, or operational challenges, particularly for assets with moving parts or inaccessible areas, leading to incomplete inspections and inefficient scheduling.
Innovation Solution
An asset inspection system utilizing drones with a flight controller that generates and executes a flight plan based on environmental and operational data, allowing for autonomous inspection data collection while coordinating asset operations to facilitate safe and efficient data acquisition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If human inspectors manually inspect assets, then inspection quality and accuracy can be maintained, but inspection time and labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces human mechanical inspection systems with automated robotic inspection systems equipped with sensors, cameras, and data processing capabilities. The robotic agent autonomously navigates to the asset, collects inspection data, and transmits it to a backend system for analysis, eliminating manual human inspection while maintaining or improving inspection quality through consistent automated measurement protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system performs self-service by autonomously navigating to assets, collecting inspection data, and transmitting results without requiring human inspectors. The robotic agent independently executes the inspection task based on scheduled or on-demand triggers, and the backend system automatically processes and analyzes the collected data, freeing human personnel from direct inspection activities.
2Measurement precision
If assets are taken offline for inspection, then complete inspection data can be obtained, but operational productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by scheduling inspections during planned maintenance windows or using predictive analytics to identify assets requiring inspection before failures occur. The backend system prioritizes inspection tasks and coordinates with operational schedules to minimize disruption, allowing inspections to be conducted proactively rather than reactively, reducing unplanned downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic inspection system can inspect certain assets while they remain in operation by using non-contact sensors and imaging technologies that do not require asset shutdown. This substitution enables inspection of moving or operational components without taking the asset offline, maintaining productivity while obtaining inspection data.
3Reliability
If inspection schedules are based on fixed intervals, then routine maintenance can be ensured, but over-inspection or under-inspection may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The backend system analyzes inspection data and operational parameters to provide feedback on asset health status. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts inspection schedules, extending intervals for healthy assets and shortening them for assets showing degradation signs. This closed-loop feedback mechanism optimizes inspection frequency based on actual asset condition rather than fixed schedules, improving both reliability and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection scheduling system transitions from static fixed-interval scheduling to dynamic condition-based scheduling. The system continuously monitors asset operational data and inspection results, adjusting inspection frequencies and priorities in real-time based on asset health trends, operational criticality, and risk assessments, allowing the schedule to adapt dynamically to changing conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present approach relates to the inspection of assets, such as assets having parts that move during operation. As discussed herein, operational data for the asset may be incorporated into planning or adapting the flight plan and/or operational commands may be issued to asset in accordance with the flight plan to facilitate acquisition of the inspection data.