Abstract
This paper presents a novel method for UAV-based 3D modeling of large infrastructure objects, such as pipelines, canals and levees, that combines anomaly detection with automatic on-board 3D view planning. The study begins by assuming that anomaly detections are possible and focuses on quantifying the potential benefits of the combined method and the view planning algorithm. A simulated canal environment is constructed, and several simulated anomalies are created and marked. The algorithm is used to plan inspection flights for the anomaly locations, and simulated images from the flights are rendered and processed to construct 3D models of the locations of interest. The new flights are compared to traditional flights in terms of flight time, data collected and 3D model accuracy. When compared to a low speed, low elevation traditional flight, the proposed method is shown in simulation to decrease total flight time by up to 55%, while reducing the amount of image data to be processed by 89% and maintaining 3D model accuracy at areas of interest.
Highlights
The advent of small Unmanned Aerial Systems has given rise to a host of new applications for aerial imaging technology in many fields [1,2,3,4,5]
Multi-scale flight times are calculated by multiplying the average anomaly inspection time by the number of anomalies found per mile and adding that time to the time required for a baseline 60-mph flight
If accurate anomaly detections are possible, the proposed multi-scale infrastructure monitoring approach has the potential to reduce flight times by up to 55% and the quantity of data generated by up to 89% while maintaining accuracy at areas of interest when compared to a low altitude, low speed flight
Summary
The advent of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) has given rise to a host of new applications for aerial imaging technology in many fields [1,2,3,4,5]. While excellent results can be obtained for single site projects as demonstrated by [10], UAV flight time, computational power, data storage and model processing time all constrain the scalability of this technology to large-scale infrastructure systems, such as pipelines, canals, levees, railroads, utility lines and other long linear features [11]. Because of these constraints, creating a single detailed 3D model of a large infrastructure object is in many cases impractical
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