Drone Flight Path Control for Structure Inspection Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for inspecting hard-to-reach structures like bridges and industrial facilities are costly and unsafe, requiring scaffolding or lane closures, which disrupt traffic and increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A hovering camera system equipped with an imaging device that performs automatic flights based on pre-set flight paths and imaging positions, allowing for efficient inspection without the need for scaffolding or lane closures, using a control terminal to generate and transmit flight information and acquire images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional inspection methods using scaffolding or lane closures are used, then inspection safety and accessibility are improved, but inspection costs increase and traffic flow is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical inspection systems (scaffolding, lane closures) with an aerial vehicle equipped with imaging devices. The aerial vehicle flies autonomously along pre-planned paths to capture images of the inspection target, eliminating the need for complex ground-based mechanical structures and traffic disruptions while maintaining inspection safety and quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an aerial vehicle as an intermediary between inspectors and the inspection target. This intermediary carries imaging devices and flies autonomously to capture images, serving as a mediator that eliminates direct human exposure to hazardous inspection environments while reducing the need for costly safety infrastructure like scaffolding
2Ease of operation
If traditional inspection methods with scaffolding are used, then inspection accessibility is improved, but traffic flow and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions inspection from the ground level (2D plane) to the aerial dimension (3D space). The aerial vehicle operates in the air space above the inspection target, capturing images from elevated positions without interfering with ground-based traffic flow, thus maintaining accessibility while preserving productivity
Data Source
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AI summary
[Object] To provide a control device that can make more efficient an inspection performed by a flying body capable of performing imaging. [Solution] Provided is a control device including an acquisition unit configured to acquire information related to an overview of a structure, and a flight information generating unit configured to generate flight information of a flying body being caused to fly over a periphery of the structure to image the structure on the basis of the information acquired by the acquisition unit. The control device generates information used to cause the flying body to image the structure, and thereby makes it possible to make more efficient the inspection performed by the flying body capable of performing imaging.