UAV Flight Plan for Constant Distance Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight plans for UAVs are two-dimensional, failing to maintain a constant distance over structures with irregular surfaces, such as bridges and dams, making it difficult to detect micro cracks due to varying distances and potential collisions.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional flight plan and guiding system that uses a camera unit and laser scanner to create a detailed flying route with constant distance maintenance, incorporating a gimbal mechanism for the measuring device and a position measuring instrument to ensure accurate positioning and avoid collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a two-dimensional flight plan is used, then the flight route can be easily prepared, but the distance between the UAV and the structure surface cannot be maintained at a constant value
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional flight plan to a three-dimensional flight plan by incorporating elevation data from LiDAR point cloud information. This allows the UAV to maintain a constant vertical distance from the structure surface while flying over irregular terrain, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and distance control precision.
2Reliability
If the UAV flies at a predetermined distance to avoid collision, then safety is improved, but the photographing distance becomes too far to detect micro cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic distance adjustment by generating a three-dimensional flight route that adapts to the actual surface topology. The UAV dynamically maintains a constant offset distance (e.g., 5 meters) from the structure surface using real-time position correction based on LiDAR data, enabling both safe operation and close-up imaging for crack detection.
3Productivity
If the flight route does not account for surface irregularities, then the flight plan can be generated quickly, but the distance variation makes micro crack detection difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary LiDAR scanning to create point cloud data of the structure surface before generating the flight plan. This advance preparation of three-dimensional surface information enables the subsequent flight route to be precisely optimized for constant distance maintenance, achieving both high productivity and measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables close-in imaging for detecting micro cracks by maintaining a constant distance over irregular surfaces, improving crack detection accuracy and preventing collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a laser scanner to create a three-dimensional map of the object surface
Implementation Method 2
the measuring device is a camera unit and the approximate flight plan includes photographing points and overlapping ratios
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A flying vehicle has a retro-reflector, a position measuring instrument has a non-prism measurement function for performing a distance measurement and an angle measurement in non-prism and a prism measurement function for performing the distance measurement and the angle measurement with respect to the retro-reflector, a control device is adapted to have a flight range as set within a flat plane, to prepare an approximate flight plan having a two-dimensional approximate flying route as set within the flight range, to measure the approximate flying route by the non-prism measurement, to calculate a three-dimensional detailed flying route based on the measurement results and the approximate flying route, to prepare a detailed flight plan including the detailed flying route and to control the flying vehicle so as to fly in maintaining a distance between the flying vehicle system and a surface of the object to be measured at a constant value based on the detailed flight plan and a result of the prism measurement.