UAV Flight Planning for Safe Vertical Structure Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inspecting vertical structures for damage requires significant time and resources, posing safety risks to personnel due to the need for manual inspections and adherence to safety procedures.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with sensors and cameras to autonomously perform inspections by following a predefined flight plan, allowing operators to safely gather detailed image and sensor data without direct human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual inspection by trained personnel is used, then detailed inspection can be performed, but significant time investment and safety risks are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated UAV system equipped with cameras and sensors. The UAV autonomously navigates to the structure, captures images and sensor data, and transmits them for analysis, eliminating the need for personnel to physically climb or approach hazardous structures while maintaining comprehensive inspection capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system performs self-service by autonomously conducting the entire inspection process without human intervention during data collection. The UAV independently navigates, captures data, and returns it for analysis, freeing personnel from time-consuming manual inspection tasks while ensuring consistent, detailed examination of structures
2Measurement precision
If manual inspection by trained personnel is used, then detailed inspection can be performed, but safety risks to personnel increase
Solution Approach 1:
The UAV acts as an intermediary between the inspector and the hazardous structure. It collects detailed inspection data from dangerous locations without exposing personnel to risks such as falls, electrical hazards, or structural failures, while still capturing comprehensive visual and sensor information
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces human personnel with an automated UAV platform, eliminating exposure to harmful factors associated with manual inspection of tall or hazardous structures while maintaining the ability to perform detailed examinations through onboard cameras and sensors
3Measurement precision
If traditional inspection equipment such as cranes or raised platforms is used, then detailed inspection can be achieved, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential inspection function from complex ground-based equipment like cranes and raised platforms. By placing cameras and sensors on a lightweight UAV platform, the system achieves the same inspection capability without the cumbersome infrastructure, reducing both equipment complexity and deployment cost
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using expensive, complex physical platforms to reach structures, the system uses a UAV that can autonomously position itself at the required location. This creates a simpler, more flexible copy of the inspection function that eliminates the need for heavy equipment while maintaining inspection precision
Data Source
AI summary
A portion of a vertical structure is determined for inspection by an unmanned aerial vehicle. A flight plan including safe locations around the vertical structure is determined. Each of the safe locations is associated with a respective column of waypoints. The unmanned aerial vehicle navigates according to the flight plan by navigating to a first safe location of the safe locations, navigating vertically along a first column associated with the first safe location, activating sensors to obtain respective sensor information at at least some of the waypoints associated with the first safe location, navigating to a second safe location of the safe locations, navigating vertically along a second column associated with the second safe location, and activating the sensors to obtain respective sensor information at at least some of the waypoints associated with the second safe location.