Vegetation Contact Risk Analysis Using Remote Sensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vegetation management systems that use remote sensing data to analyze the risk of vegetation contact with facilities face high costs due to the need for extensive three-dimensional measurements and frequent data collection.

Innovation Solution

A vegetation management system that classifies vegetation using remote sensing data, predicts long-term and short-term wide-area fluctuations, determines contact risks, and visualizes results to support maintenance work without relying on extensive three-dimensional data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If three-dimensional measurement utilizing LiDAR sensor is performed to accurately determine vegetation contact, then measurement precision is improved, but cost increases extremely

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevegetation contact determination accuracyVSAvoidcost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential information needed for vegetation contact determination from remote sensing data, rather than performing comprehensive three-dimensional measurements. By focusing on specific vegetation parameters and contact risk indicators, the system achieves accurate determination without the extreme cost of full LiDAR-based 3D mapping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses cost-effective remote sensing imagery instead of expensive LiDAR sensors for vegetation contact determination. By leveraging widely available satellite or aerial imagery that can be frequently updated, the system maintains measurement precision while dramatically reducing the cost per measurement cycle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Ease of operation

If three-dimensional conversion of facility and vegetation is performed to support visualization and intuitive operation, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisualization capabilityVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates simplified two-dimensional representations of vegetation and facilities that preserve the essential spatial relationships needed for contact determination. Instead of converting all data to three dimensions, the invention uses 2D imagery with overlaid analysis results that provide intuitive visualization while avoiding the complexity of full 3D modeling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The invention compensates for the lack of three-dimensional conversion by utilizing the vertical dimension in a different way - analyzing vegetation height and growth patterns in the vertical direction through remote sensing indices, while maintaining two-dimensional spatial representation for visualization. This approach provides intuitive operation without requiring complex 3D data structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Measurement precision

If frequent photographing is performed to perform accurate vegetation contact determination, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact determination accuracyVSAvoidinvestigation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic monitoring using remote sensing data at optimized intervals, rather than requiring frequent photographing. By analyzing vegetation growth rates and contact risk over time periods, the system achieves accurate determination while maintaining high productivity through efficient use of available remote sensing passes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the natural periodicity of remote sensing satellite passes and vegetation growth cycles to its advantage. Instead of actively conducting frequent surveys, the system analyzes routinely captured remote sensing data that self-updates over time, achieving both measurement precision and productivity by leveraging the self-service nature of continuous remote sensing coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4358008B1Vegetation management system and vegetation management method
Publication Date: 2025.05.07 HITACHI ENERGY LTD
  • EP4358008B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4358008B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4358008B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vegetation management system 1 includes a vegetation classification unit 13 that classifies vegetation photographed in remote sensing data, a long-term change prediction unit 15 that predicts, based on a classification result of the vegetation and the remote sensing data, long-term wide-area fluctuation that is range fluctuation of the vegetation in a predetermined long-term time sequence, a short-term change prediction unit 16 that predicts, based on the classification result of the vegetation and the remote sensing data, short-term wide-area fluctuation that is range fluctuation of the vegetation in a predetermined short-term time sequence, a risk determination unit 17 that determines, based on a prediction result by long-term change prediction unit 15 and a prediction result by short-term change prediction unit 16, a risk due to contact of the vegetation and a facility, and a visualization unit 18 that visualizes a determination result of the risk.