Cameras are today proving to be exceptionally adaptable, particularly in collecting image data when it comes to critical inspections of either hard-to-reach-places or challenging locations that could prove too risky for ground teams to get to.
The best range in this evolving technology can enable predictive maintenance for inspection missions of power lines, wind turbines, roads, bridges, and pipelines. Such solutions can also increase the speed and precision of data collection and reduce unnecessary costs.
An aerial bridge inspection is now easily achieved because cameras have been designed to enable large surface coverage at extremely high resolution. They provide accurate visualization of the objects, as well as the surrounding areas.
These cameras can also enable millimeter-sized damage spotting detection and fast repair, with minimal effect on performance or the environment – making them the ultimate aerial inspection cameras.
Operators of these cameras are being called engaged even more in such activities as they can be flown in congested areas and controlled airspaces. Contractors can focus on performing inspections and mapping 2D and 3D models.
Computer technology enables systems to achieve a resolution of nearly 1mm with an image footprint of 12m x 9m from a flight height of 10m distance. Data is used to create and provide a 3D mesh and inspection platform of the structure for the required annual bridge inspection.
With powerline infrastructure considered the backbone for the electricity supply of industrial, administrative and private sectors, its maintenance requires regular inspections.
Rather than traditional manual checks that are very time-consuming and labour-intensive tasks, camera solutions and their software are being used for aerial powerline inspection activities by aerial photography missions, capturing data with Lidar, RGB cameras, and specific thermal infrared and UV sensitive sensors.
The technology has also been further developed, negating the need for visual observation of powerlines in flight. Typically, inspection teams only operate one or two sensor modalities per flight, and additional missions must be planned for the other methods.
This adds not only time but also significant costs to keep the infrastructure running smoothly. Human visual checks and verification can also be inaccurate, and faults or findings might be overlooked.
In one example, a blue-chip operator has implemented a multi-sensor system that records and analyzes all required data in one go using multiple sensors and RGB sensors, innovative AI, and machine learning.
Among the many benefits of this is that it allows teams to capture miles and miles of transmission line imagery in a single day while taking four images per structure. Another benefit is the ability to see fine details on the structures while flying 750 feet from the electrical transmission towers at approximately 60mph.
The efficiency of being able to document the state of an asset through a few images at an unprecedented speed makes this inspection method accessible to more electric utilities.
As well as aerial pipeline inspection projects, the high tech camera technology is also being deployed regularly across many different industries for inspection activities in agricultural, construction, rail, site/safety and wind turbine sectors.
