Autonomous UAV Property Scanning for Consistent Defect Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for property assessments, such as insurance claims and solar panel evaluations, require trained technicians to physically visit sites, leading to inefficiencies, safety concerns, and high costs due to the need for manual inspections and varying techniques among professionals.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a UAV assessment and reporting system that uses autonomous flight patterns to capture high-resolution images and data, including boustrophedonic, loop, and micro scans, allowing for comprehensive and methodical property evaluations without the need for on-site technicians, utilizing sensors like cameras, sonar, lidar, and infrared sensors, and integrating computer vision for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If trained technicians physically visit sites for property assessments, then comprehensive inspection can be performed, but operational costs increase and safety concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables autonomous property assessment where the UAV independently performs flight, data collection, and analysis without requiring human technicians to physically visit the property, thus eliminating safety risks and reducing operational costs while maintaining inspection quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human technicians performing manual inspections with an automated UAV system equipped with sensors and computer vision algorithms, substituting human physical presence with autonomous robotic assessment
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple trained technicians perform assessments using varying techniques, then diverse expertise is utilized, but measurement consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system ensures uniform assessment methodology by using standardized sensor configurations, fixed flight patterns, and consistent computer vision algorithms across all properties, eliminating variations introduced by different human technicians while maintaining adaptable assessment capabilities
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If manual inspections are conducted by technicians, then on-site judgment can be exercised, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UAV performs continuous data collection during flight without interruption, capturing images and sensor data throughout the entire property in a single autonomous mission, eliminating the time-consuming back-and-forth and setup procedures associated with manual inspections
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates comprehensive digital copies of the property through high-resolution imaging and sensor data, enabling remote analysis and eliminating the need for repeated physical visits by technicians for additional assessments
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
This approach reduces the need for trained technicians on-site, enhances data accuracy and consistency, and lowers operational costs while providing comprehensive and systematic property assessments, enabling efficient and safe data collection across various scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
An imaging system may be used to capture images of the structure
Implementation Method 2
A shadow determination system may calculate a location of a shadow of the UAV on the structure based on the relative position of the UAV and the sun
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may conduct micro scans of a wide variety of property types. Scan data from any of a wide variety of sensor types may be compared with profile data using computer vision techniques to identify characteristics, defects, damage, construction materials, and the like. A hierarchal structure of the scan data may reduce the size of data sets used for property identification. For example, identifying a material type of a property may reduce or eliminate the need to compare scan data with specific data profiles for defects not related to the identified material type. Similarly, identifying a particular characteristic of a property may narrow down the data sets of possible material types. A rule set evaluator may evaluate matched profile data to determine adaptive actions to modify the navigation or scanning process of the UAV.