KR102443435B1 - Unmanned aerial vehicle with lidar sensor for measuring crack thickness of structures - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention may provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor for measuring a crack thickness of a structure is applied, comprising: a main body; a camera position control module connected to the main body; a camera installed in the camera position control module; a lidar position control module connected to the main body; and a lidar sensor installed in the lidar position control module and detecting distance information to an inspection point in order to determine the size of a crack in a structure to be inspected detected in a captured image detected by the camera, thereby capable of improve flight accuracy even in satellite shaded areas.

Description

Unmanned aerial vehicle with lidar sensor for measuring crack thickness of structures

The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor for measuring the thickness of a crack in a structure is applied, and more particularly, an inspection based on a photographed image of an inspection point from a camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle and distance information between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the inspection point It relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of determining the presence of defects such as cracks in a point and determining the size of the defect and a system including the same.

Currently, the use of unmanned vehicles (drones) for facility inspection is increasing. It can inspect areas that are difficult for people to access, eliminating blind spots in inspection, guaranteeing worker safety, and increasing work efficiency. Due to these advantages, studies are being conducted to apply the unmanned moving object to the inspection of various facilities such as transmission towers and bridges. A typical research case is the detection of cracks in the inspection object or the development of a new type of robot optimized for the environment of the facility to prevent the risk of collision with the facility and to derive the optimal inspection path due to the nature of the task.

Bridge safety diagnosis includes regular inspection, precision inspection, and precise safety diagnosis, and in common, exterior inspection is preceded. Appearance inspection uses skilled professionals, ladder special vehicles and equipment, or by using a safety diagnosis device pre-installed on the bridge to identify the external problems of the bridge and take supplementary measures to the problematic bridge. The current visual inspection method using a special vehicle is burdensome in terms of economy, such as traffic congestion due to vehicle control and the installation of safety equipment to ensure the safety of investigators. In particular, in the case of older bridges, most of the safety devices for investigators are not installed or are insufficient. Since the use of manpower and special equipment is minimized in the exterior inspection of bridges by drones, the cost of bridge safety diagnosis can be relatively reduced. In particular, if a database is established by recording the periodic shooting by drones and the status of the bridge inspection department, it can be used for chronological safety inspection of structures. As described above, when drones are used to inspect facilities such as bridges, there are advantages in reducing labor and inspection costs, but there are operational difficulties such as flight stability and flight time. Large and heavy vehicles are strong against drafts but have a shorter flight time due to their weight. Small and light vehicles have a longer flight time but are more sensitive to wind. In addition, mechanical vibrations generated by drones generally do not interfere with flight, but may cause a decrease in the clarity of the inspection image and difficulty in maneuvering. This is very important in sub-bridge environments that cause turbulence or unpredictable drafts. In addition, most of the mission equipment is mounted under the aircraft, making it impossible to take pictures looking up at the bottom of the bridge. In addition, drones that are widely used for facility inspection are highly dependent on satellite navigation due to GNSS/INS combined navigation. When these drones are located under bridge facilities such as roads or railroads, the signal quality of satellite navigation may be deteriorated or reception may be difficult. In order to introduce drones for bridge inspection, localization of satellite shadow areas is a major issue that needs to be resolved.

Patent Publication No. 10-2003-0024091 (published on March 26, 2003) Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1983726 (published on May 23, 2019)

The embodiment according to the present invention is capable of detecting a defect in the appearance of an inspection structure from a camera photographed image, determining the size of the defect based on relative distance information between inspection points, and improving the accuracy of flight even in the satellite shadow area. It is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle and a system including the same.

Embodiments include a body; a camera position control module connected to the body; a camera installed in the camera position control module; a lidar position control module connected to the body; and a lidar sensor installed in the lidar position control module and configured to detect distance information to an inspection point in order to determine the size of a crack of the inspection structure detected in the captured image detected by the camera; It is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor for crack thickness measurement is applied.

In another aspect, the camera has a photographing position changed by the camera position control module, and the lidar sensor is unmanned to which a lidar sensor for measuring crack thickness of a structure whose position is changed by the lidar position control module is applied. Aircraft can be provided.

In another aspect, based on photographed image information generated by photographing a plurality of different inspection points in the inspection structure in a hovering state and distance information of each of the different plurality of inspection points, the presence and absence of cracks in the image captured by the shopping mall and cracks It is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor is applied for measuring the crack thickness of a structure that determines the size information of the .

In another aspect, there is provided an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor is applied for measuring a crack thickness of a structure whose altitude is changed based on shape information of the surface of the inspection structure and distance information to an inspection point measured by the lidar sensor can do.

In another aspect, further comprising a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module, the current position based on the shape information of the surface of the inspection structure and the measurement information of the lidar sensor in a shaded area that is a lower region of the inspection structure It is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor for measuring crack thickness of a structure that estimates information and detects current location information by the GNSS module in a non-shaded area other than the shaded area is applied.

In another aspect, the preset inspection path for inspecting the inspection structure in the shaded area may provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor for measuring a crack thickness of a structure set to pass through the non-shaded area a plurality of times is applied. .

In another aspect, it is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor for measuring a crack thickness of a structure in which a current position information estimation method is changed when a flight position is changed from the non-shaded area to the shaded area is applied.

In another aspect, the lidar sensor for measuring the crack thickness of the structure inspecting the inspection structure while maintaining the distance from the lidar sensor to the detected inspection point within a predetermined range and flying along the inspection path is applied. Aircraft can be provided.

In the other aspect, when the altitude is changed, if the distance traveled along the inspection path at the changed altitude is less than the preset value, inspect the inspection point by hovering at the changed altitude, and measure the crack thickness of the structure flying up or down to the altitude of the next inspection point It is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a lidar sensor for

On the other hand, if the altitude is changed and the distance traveled along the inspection path at the changed altitude is greater than or equal to the preset value, it flies horizontally along the inspection path at the changed altitude, inspects the inspection point, and flies upward or downward to the altitude of the next inspection point. An unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor for measuring the crack thickness of a structure is applied may be provided.

In another aspect, it is installed on the main body, the internal crack inspection module for applying a physical impact to the inspection point in order to determine whether the inside of the inspection point of the inspection structure cracks; It is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which the IDA sensor is applied.

In another aspect, the internal crack inspection module includes a link extending to the inspection point and a contact portion that reciprocates in the longitudinal direction of the link and applies a physical impact to the inspection point by contacting the inspection point. It is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor is applied.

In another aspect, in order to increase the reception efficiency of the sound due to the physical impact received through the microphone installed on the extension link, the crack of the structure further includes a canopy surrounding the extension link and the contact portion in response to the extension of the extension link. It is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle to which a lidar sensor for thickness measurement is applied.

Utilizing the captured images of the unmanned aerial vehicle to increase the efficiency of visual inspection, and to accumulate the captured data efficiently in a short time and use it for maintenance and life cycle cost (LCC) management of structures that require inspection. The safety and economic feasibility of the structure can be secured at the same time, and various data of the structure can be used for future construction planning and operation.

In addition, the embodiment protects the aircraft from external impact, enables posture control and stable flight after a collision, and can provide a small crack image with high resolution to enable external inspection, and is difficult for humans to access due to the nature of the structure environment. It can be used to inspect plant facilities such as hazardous and limited space facilities, offshore infrastructure, and civil structures.

In addition, by estimating the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the relative distance between the inspection point and the unmanned aerial vehicle by the lidar sensor in the satellite shadow area where the signal quality of satellite navigation may deteriorate or reception may be difficult, the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle even in the satellite shade area can improve the accuracy of

In addition, it is possible to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of detecting not only apparent defects of the inspection structure detected from a photographed image but also internal defects such as internal cracks and a system including the same.

1 is a diagram illustrating a system according to some examples for inspecting a bridge.
Figure 2 shows an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 shows a part of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows an exemplary block diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle structure.
FIG. 5 schematically illustrates display of three-dimensional model data of an object to be inspected on a terminal.
6 is for explaining setting of an inspection area in 3D model data.
7 schematically shows that the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle is set on the inspection area model.
8 and 9 are for explaining that the inspection path is set so that the unmanned aerial vehicle passes through the non-shaded area a plurality of times.
10 is for explaining the flight height of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the distance difference between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the inspection object.
11 schematically depicts an unmanned aerial vehicle inspecting an inspection point.
12 is for explaining another example in which the inspection path is set so that the unmanned aerial vehicle passes through the non-shaded area a plurality of times.
13 and 14 show that the unmanned aerial vehicle moves along the inspection path and inspects the bridge.
15 schematically shows an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention.
16 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of inspecting whether the inside of the inspection point is cracked using the internal crack inspection module.
17 schematically shows an internal crack inspection module further including a contact part cover part according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can apply various transformations and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. Effects and features of the present invention, and a method for achieving them, will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various forms. In the following embodiments, terms such as first, second, etc. are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another, not in a limiting sense. Also, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, terms such as include or have means that the features or components described in the specification are present, and do not preclude the possibility that one or more other features or components will be added. In addition, in the drawings, the size of the components may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience of description. For example, since the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of description, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the illustrated bar.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and when described with reference to the drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted. .

1 is a diagram illustrating a system according to some examples for inspecting a bridge. And, Figure 2 shows an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 shows a part of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3 , the system 1 includes an unmanned aerial vehicle 100 capable of moving (flying) around a structure requiring periodic inspection. In this example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is a rotorcraft vehicle. While the structure being audited is illustrated as bridge 11, system 1 includes power lines, power generation facilities, power grids, dams, levees, stadiums, large buildings, large antennas and water treatment facilities, oil refineries. It is equally adapted for use in the inspection of a wide range of other structures that may include, but are not limited to, infrastructure and monorail support structures associated with , chemical processing plants, high-rise buildings, and trains. In addition, the system 1 may be particularly suitable for use in the lower part of a bridge or inside large buildings such as manufacturing facilities and warehouses. Virtually any structure that is difficult, expensive, or too risky to be inspected by the person controlling the inspection subject or the platform carrying the inspection subject can potentially be inspected using the system shown in FIG. 1 .

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may have a body 100a having a shape capable of protecting the aircraft from external impact.

Unmanned aerial vehicles 100 are preferred because of their ability to hover and move at extremely slow speeds. The vertical take-off and landing capability of the remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be achieved when operating inside structures or facilities such as manufacturing plants, warehouses, etc., or having many tall structures (eg, chimneys) closely packed together. This can be very advantageous when inspecting complex facilities such as chemical processing plants or oil refineries. The ability to hover or move only vertically allows a remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (1000) to fly close to and inspect large vertical structures such as vertical support posts of bridges, antennas or vertical surfaces of dams.

4 shows an exemplary block diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle structure.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may include an application platform and a flight platform. The application platform may process signals for driving and service provision of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by wirelessly interworking with other electronic devices, for example, the remote control station 200 or an external controller equipped with a remote controller function. The flight platform may control the overall flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by including a flight control algorithm and/or a navigation algorithm.

One or more application processors (eg, AP) 110 , wireless communication module 120 , memory 130 , sensor module 140 , thrust generating device 150 , camera module 160 , audio module 170 ) , an indicator 180 , a power management module 190 , and a battery 191 .

The application processor 110 may control a plurality of hardware or software components connected to the application processor 110 by, for example, driving an operating system or an application program as a part of the application platform, and perform various data processing and operations. can The application processor 110 may further include a graphic processing unit (GPU) and/or an image signal processor. The application processor 110 may include at least some of the components shown in FIG. 4 . The application processor 110 may load a command or data received from at least one of the other components into a volatile memory for processing, and store the result data in a non-volatile memory. The application processor 110 may control the thrust generating device 150 and/or the camera module 160 according to a program stored in the wireless communication module 120 and/or the memory 130 .

The wireless communication module 120 may be disposed inside or connected to the housing. The wireless communication module 120 may include, for example, a cellular module 121 , a WiFi module 122 , a Bluetooth module 123 , a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module 124 , and an RF module 125 . have.

The cellular module 121 may provide, for example, a voice call, a video call, a text service, or an Internet service through a communication network. According to various embodiments, the cellular module 121 may perform at least some of the functions that the application processor 110 may provide. According to various embodiments, the cellular module 121 may include a communication processor. According to various embodiments, at least some (eg, two or more) of the cellular module 121 , the WiFi module 122 , the Bluetooth module 123 , or the GNSS module 124 is one integrated chip (IC) or IC package. may be included in The RF module 125 may transmit and receive, for example, a communication signal (eg, an RF signal). The RF module 125 may include, for example, a transceiver, a power amp module (PAM), a frequency filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), or an antenna. According to another embodiment, at least one of the cellular module 121 , the WiFi module 122 , the Bluetooth module 123 , or the GNSS module 124 may transmit/receive an RF signal through a separate RF module.

The memory 130 may include, for example, an internal memory 131 or an external memory 132 . The built-in memory 131 is, for example, a volatile memory (eg, DRAM, SRAM, or SDRAM, etc.), a non-volatile memory (eg, one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, mask ROM, flash ROM). , a flash memory, a hard drive, or a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The external memory 132 may include a flash drive, for example, a compact flash (CF) or a secure digital drive (SD). ), Micro-SD, Mini-SD, xD (extreme digital), MMC (multi-media card), memory stick, etc. The external memory 132 is functional with the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 through various interfaces. may be physically or physically connected.

The sensor module 140 may measure a physical quantity or detect an operating state of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 , and may convert the measured or sensed information into an electrical signal. In addition, the sensor module 140 may measure the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the object in front, and may estimate its own location information based thereon. In various embodiments, the physical quantity detected through the sensor module 140 may be utilized as information necessary for flight control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 . The sensor module 140 is, for example, a lidar sensor 141 , a gyro sensor 142 , a barometric pressure sensor 143 , a compass sensor 144 , an acceleration sensor 145 , and an ultrasonic sensor 146 . , it may include at least one of a temperature sensor 147 , a humidity sensor 148 , and an illuminance sensor 149 . Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module 24 may further include, for example, a control circuit for controlling at least one or more sensors included therein. In some embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 further comprises a processor configured to control the sensor module 140 as part of or separately from the application processor 110 so that the application processor 110 is in a sleep state. During this time, the sensor module 149 may be controlled. In another embodiment, the sensor module 140 may measure a physical quantity or detect the operating state of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 , and provide the measured or sensed information to the thrust generating device 150 , and the thrust generating device 150 . ) may control the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 based on the provided information. For example, the sensor module 140 and the thrust generating device 150 may at least partially constitute a part of the flight platform. In various embodiments, the lidar sensor 141 is controlled by the lidar position control module 141a. The position can be controlled.

The thrust generating device 150 may include a plurality of microprocessor units (MPUs) 151 , a plurality of driving circuits 152 , and a plurality of motors 153 .

The navigation circuit unit 154 may generate a signal for controlling the motor 153 based on a control signal provided from the application processor 110 and various physical quantities provided through the sensor module 140 . The microprocessor unit (MPU) 151 and the driving circuit 152 generate thrust and/or lift required for the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by driving the motor 153 according to the control signal of the navigation circuit unit 154 . can do it

The camera module 160 may include a camera 161 , a camera position control module 162 , and a motor 163 for camera position control. The camera module 160 is a device capable of capturing still images and moving images, for example. In various embodiments, camera 161 may include one or more image sensors, lenses, image signal processors (ISPs), or flashes. In various embodiments, camera 161 is a still camera (color and/or black and white) for obtaining still images, a video camera for obtaining color and/or black and white video or infrared still images or infrared rays of parts of bridge 11 . It may include an infrared camera for obtaining video. The camera position control module 162 maintains a constant posture or orientation of the camera 161 when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 fluctuates due to the vibration of the thrust generating device 150 or the influence of the surrounding airflow, while maintaining a shake-free image can be made available for shooting. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be installed in the camera position control module 162 in a detachable form to the camera position control module 162 installed on the upper side of the main body 100a.

In addition, the camera position control module 162 may adjust the position or the shooting direction of the camera 161 using the power of the camera position control motor 163 , and based on the control signal of the application processor 110 , the camera 161 . ) to control the shooting direction.

On the other hand, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may have a lidar sensor 141 installed in the lidar position control module 141a in a form detachable from the lidar position control module 141a connected to the camera position control module 102 . .

The lidar sensor 141 emits a signal towards a part of the bridge 11 . By causing a signal from the lidar sensor 141 to collide with a part of the bridge 11 , information about the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be acquired.

The audio module 170 may interactively convert a sound and an electrical signal. The audio module 170 may process sound information input or output through the speaker 171 and/or the microphone 172 .

The indicator 180 may display a specific state of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 or a part thereof, for example, a booting state or a charging state.

The power management module 190 may manage power of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 , for example. According to an embodiment, the power management module 190 may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a charger IC, or a battery or fuel gauge. The PMIC may have a wired and/or wireless charging method. The wireless charging method includes, for example, a magnetic resonance method, a magnetic induction method, or an electromagnetic wave method, and may further include an additional circuit for wireless charging, for example, a coil loop, a resonance circuit, or a rectifier. have. The battery gauge may measure, for example, the remaining amount of the battery 191 , voltage, current, or temperature during charging. Battery 191 may include, for example, a rechargeable battery and/or a solar cell. In various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be a tethered drone powered by a wire.

The system shown in FIG. 1 may further include a remote control station 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communications to and from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 . The remote control station 200 may include a terminal, a transceiver and an antenna. In various embodiments, the terminal, transceiver and antenna may be configured as independent devices from each other. The transceiver may communicate with the antenna to enable communication between the terminal and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 .

The on-board system of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be configured according to one or more different stored inspection paths digitally represented by flight plan data stored in a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium (not shown in FIG. 1 ). It may further include guidance and control hardware and software systems (not shown in FIG. 1 ) capable of implementing flight plans. The on-board system controls the orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and assists in the execution of flight plans according to pre-programmed inspection paths stored in memory, such as positioning information based on lidar sensing information or as a global satellite navigation system (GNSS). For example, a global positioning system/inertial navigation system (GPS/INS) may be applied. An onboard antenna (not shown in FIG. 1 ) and a wireless transceiver enable two-way wireless electromagnetic wave communications with the remote control station 200 .

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 of the type shown in FIG. 1 may be upgraded with the ability to acquire scale and distance information between points for objects to be inspected. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be provided with on-board sensors and processing techniques to provide discrete or continuous measurements of distances between points on the target or the scale of the target.

5 schematically shows that 3D model data of an object to be inspected is displayed on a terminal, and FIG. 6 is for explaining setting an inspection area in the 3D model data. And, Figure 7 schematically shows that the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle is set on the inspection area model. 8 and 9 are for explaining that the inspection path is set so that the unmanned aerial vehicle passes through the non-shaded area a plurality of times.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the terminal 210 may display the illustrated three-dimensional model data 11m of the bridge, which is an exemplary inspection object.

The terminal 210 may change an area or a display direction of the displayed 3D bridge model 11m in response to selection of the displayed 3D bridge model 11m. For example, the terminal 210 may move, rotate, enlarge, and reduce the displayed bridge 3D model 11m on the screen based on the touch input and the movement direction of the input touch.

Referring further to FIG. 6 , the terminal 210 may set (a) an inspection area in response to selection of a plurality of points of the displayed three-dimensional bridge model 11m.

The terminal 210 may display (b) the examination area model 11im based on the plurality of selected points. As illustrated by way of example, a partial area of the lower portion of the bridge 11 is selected and displayed as the inspection area model 11im.

The terminal 210 may detect surface shape information of the inspection object (inspection structure) based on the 3D model data of the inspection object stored in advance based on the inspection area model 11im.

The terminal 210 relates to the shape information of the surface and the size of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 stored in advance, including height information (d) for all points on the surface of the object to be inspected, sub-structure information such as piers or alternating bridges (u), and the like. The flight path 100p of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be set on the inspection area model 11im based on the unmanned aerial vehicle shape information.

As an example, as shown in FIG. 7 , a flight path 100p in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 flies in a zigzag form in the horizontal axis direction along the longitudinal axis of the inspection area model 11im may be set.

8 and 9, the flight path 100p may be set so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 passes through the non-shaded area nsr a plurality of times. Illustratively, the lower side of the inspection area model 11im (for example, the space below the bridge 11) may be an area in which the signal quality of satellite navigation may be deteriorated or reception may be difficult, and including this area A shaded area sr may be set as the area.

The terminal 210 may set the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to pass through the non-shaded area nsr a plurality of times when flying in a zigzag form in the horizontal axis direction along the longitudinal axis of the inspection area model 11im.

As illustrated by way of example, the terminal 210 inspects a partial area of the surface of the object to be inspected while the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 departs from the first non-shaded area nsr1 and flies to the shaded area sr. After leaving the area sr, it passes through the second non-shaded area nsr2 and then enters the shaded area sr again to inspect another partial area of the surface of the object to be inspected, and after leaving the shaded area sr, the first The flight path 100p may be set in such a way that it enters the shaded area sr again after passing through the non-shaded area nsr1.

After setting the flight route 100p, the terminal 210 sets the location search method conversion start point information tp for starting the conversion of the location search method of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 on the flight route 100p, and in FIG. Finally, the inspection path (inp) can be set as

The location search method switching start point information tp may be at or near the boundary between the shaded area sr and the non-shaded area nsr.

10 is for explaining the flight height of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the distance difference between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the inspection object. And, Figure 11 schematically depicts that the unmanned aerial vehicle inspects the inspection point.

For convenience of description of the invention, an example in which an unmanned aerial vehicle flies along the inspection path according to FIG. 9 will be described.

4, 9, 10 and 11, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 located in the non-shaded area determines the altitude when entering the shaded area based on its location information detected by the GNSS module 124. determined and can enter the shaded area at the determined altitude. In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can move while moving along the inspection path while changing the altitude based on the distance information between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 detected from the lidar sensor 141 and the bridge 11 in the shaded area. have.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 that has entered the shaded area causes the lidar sensor 141 to face the upper direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by the lidar position control module 141a, and is based on the sensing information of the lidar sensor 141. Based on the distance information between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the structure above the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be detected.

When the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 flies along the inspection path (flying in the transverse direction of the bridge 11 according to the illustrated example), the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the inspection point maintains a distance value within a predetermined range. can fly Accordingly, when the height of each inspection point is changed, the height of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be changed in response thereto. For example, when the height of the inspection point increases, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can fly upward, and when the height of the inspection point decreases again, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can fly downward.

In addition, at point a among the inspection points, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 on the inspection path at the point b on the inspection path as in the case where the movement distance that the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 needs to move in the horizontal axis direction on the inspection path is equal to or greater than the preset value and at the point b. Different flight plans can be established by classifying the case where the movement distance to be moved in the horizontal axis is less than the preset value. Point b is an inspection point with increased height, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 inspects the inspection point after ascending flight and then flies down again. Since the length of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is long, it is a point where an accurate inspection of the corresponding point is possible only when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 ascends and then inspects the corresponding point while flying horizontally.

While the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 moves in the transverse direction of the bridge 11 and inspects the inspection point, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 detects the distance information between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the inspection point by the lidar sensor 141 In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may estimate its position based on the shape information of the surface that is the inspection area. In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may determine its location through the GNSS module 124 again after flying to the non-shaded area. Then, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 re-enters the shaded area and based on the distance information between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the inspection point detected by the lidar sensor 141 and the shape information of the surface that is the inspection area, the unmanned aerial vehicle ( 100) estimates its location and can examine the state of the bridge 11 .

In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 captures the inspection point of the bridge 11 through the camera 161 to generate photographed image information, and at the same time, the photographed inspection point detected through the lidar sensor 141 and the unmanned aerial vehicle ( 100) can generate distance information between them. In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may store and/or transmit the photographed image information and distance information between the photographing point and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to the terminal 210 . In addition, the terminal 210 may analyze the captured image to determine whether defects such as cracks exist in the captured image. In this case, the terminal 210 may generate information on the size of a combination such as cracks in the captured image based on the distance information between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the shooting point.

12 is for explaining another example in which the inspection path is set so that the unmanned aerial vehicle passes through the non-shaded area a plurality of times. And, FIGS. 13 and 14 show that the unmanned aerial vehicle moves along the inspection path and inspects the bridge.

12, after the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 departs from the non-shaded area nsr2 and enters the shaded area sr, which is the lower space of the bridge 11, the inspection point is inspected while flying along the inspection point. Afterwards, the first flight path 100p1 that returns to the adjacent non-shaded area nsr2 is set, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 enters the shaded area sr from the current position on the non-shaded area nsr2 again and inspects it. After inspecting the non-shaded area, a second flight path 100p2 that returns to the adjacent non-shaded area nsr2 is set, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 returns to the shaded area from the current position on the non-shaded area nsr2. A third flight path 100p3 that enters (sr) and returns to the adjacent non-shaded area nsr1 after examining the unchecked inspection area may be set. In addition, an inspection path may be set based on the first and third flight paths 100p1 , 100p2 , and 100p3 . As illustrated by way of example, in the first and second flight paths 100p1 and 100p2, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 departs from the second non-shaded area nsr2 and returns to the second non-shaded area nsr2. , on the third flight path 100p3 , the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may start from the second non-shaded area nsr2 and return to the adjacent first non-shaded area nrs1 at the position at the end time point after the inspection is completed.

In addition, the terminal 210 sets the flight routes 100p1, 100p2, 100p3, and then starts the switching of the location search method of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 on the flight route 100p. Position search method conversion start point information (tp) to set the final inspection path (inp).

In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13 , when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 flies along the inspection point on the shaded area sr, it may move along a point of a height within a predetermined range. That is, the height of the inspection target points on the path on which the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 moves in each of the first to third flight paths 100p1, 100p2, 100p3 may be points having a height within a predetermined range (a1 to a2). . In various embodiments, the altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be maintained when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 flies over an inspection point having a height within a predetermined range (a1 to a2). That is, the altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be changed in response to the case where the inspection point is a height outside the predetermined range (a1 to a2). In addition, as exemplarily shown in FIG. 14 , the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 generates a photographed image by photographing the inspection point while moving along the inspection path, and generates distance information between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the photographed inspection point. to be stored and/or transmitted to the terminal 210 . In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 generates a photographed image by photographing the inspection point in the left oblique direction as in (a) at an arbitrary position on the inspection path, and by photographing the inspection point in the upward direction as in (b). A photographed image may be generated, and a photographed image may be generated by photographing an examination point in a right oblique direction as in (c). The captured image may be displayed on the terminal 210 . A plurality of cracks CR1, CR2, and CR3 may be included in the captured image. The terminal 21 may additionally display information on the size of cracks or risk information of the detected cracks based on the distance information between the photographed inspection point and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 .

15 schematically shows an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention. And, FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of inspecting whether the inside of the inspection point is cracked using the internal crack inspection module. And FIG. 17 schematically shows an internal crack inspection module further including a contact part cover part according to another embodiment of the present invention.

4, 15 and 16 , the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 according to various embodiments of the present invention may further include an internal crack inspection module 300 . The internal crack inspection module 300 may be installed in the main body 100a of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 .

The internal crack inspection module 300 is connected to the main body 100a and is located inside the housing link 310 and the housing link 310 that are rotatable in various directions based on the point connected to the main body 100a and the housing link 310 A plurality of motors (not shown) including an extension link 320 that is inserted into or withdrawn from the housing link 310 and extendable and a contact portion 330 reciprocating along the longitudinal direction of the extension link 320 (not shown) may include. In various embodiments, an end of the extension link 320 may be installed in the audio module 170 . In various embodiments, a microphone 172 may be installed at the end of the extension link 320 . The position of the extension link 320 is adjusted in the state that the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 hovers over an arbitrary point of the inspection structure such as the bridge 11, and the extension link 320 is directed from the housing link 310 toward the inspection point. direction and may be extended. In addition, the contact portion 330 in the extension link 320 may reciprocate a plurality of times in the longitudinal direction of the extension link 320 to apply a physical impact to the test point. In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may detect sound information received through the microphone 171 installed on the extension link 320 . In various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 detects sound information received through the microphone 171 before the reciprocating motion of the contact unit 330 is driven, and the inspection point and the contact unit 330 according to the reciprocating motion of the contact unit 330 . Sound information detected by mutual impact can be detected. In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may transmit the detected sound information to the terminal 210 . The terminal 210 may analyze the received sound information and analyze the sound obtained by removing noise according to the surrounding sound information from the sound information detected by the impact applied to the inspection point to determine whether there is a crack inside the inspection point.

In the embodiment, the presence of cracks can be investigated by sound and vibration difference by tapping the back side of the pier and the bridge with a metal rod. In detail, when checking the condition of the bridge 11, it is possible to determine whether the concrete has cracked through the sound generated by pressing the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to the pier and the inspection point of the bridge and tapping the concrete pier with a metal rod.

Referring further to FIG. 17 , according to various embodiments, the internal crack inspection module 300 may further include a contact part cover part 340 . The contact part cover part 340 may have an umbrella type shape. The contact part cover part 340 is installed in a plurality of spaced apart from each other on the outer surfaces of the canopy 342 and the canopy 342, has a predetermined elasticity, and maintains the shape of the canopy 342. ) formed on one side of the engaging portion 345, located on the outside of the canopy 342, one side is connected to the engaging portion 345, the other side is connected to the extension link 320 to include a plurality of spreaders (341) can The engaging portion 345 is inserted into the engaging portion accommodating groove 342 formed on one side of the spreader 341 and can reciprocate within a predetermined range from one side of the spreader 341 in the longitudinal direction of the spreader 341 . The locking part accommodating groove 342 and the locking part 345 help to smoothly unfold the folded canopy 342 according to the movement of the spreader 341 and fold it back to the opposite side. Before the extension link 320 extends from the housing link 310 , the canopy 342 is positioned to surround a portion of the housing link 310 . And, when the extension link 320 is extended from the housing link 310, the plurality of spreaders 341 move along the extension link 320 and the canopy 342 is unfolded, and the extension link 320 has a predetermined length. When the length exceeds the length, the canopy 342 has a shape surrounding the extension link 320 , and as the extension length of the extension link 320 increases, the area in which the canopy 342 surrounds the extension link 320 increases. That is, the canopy 342 changes from a folded state in one direction to an unfolded state, and then changes to a folded state in the opposite direction to surround the extension link 320 and the contact portion 330 . And, when the contact portion 330 reciprocates a plurality of times along the longitudinal direction of the extension link 320 and applies a physical impact to the inspection point, the canopy 342 surrounds the contact portion 330, so By minimizing noise from being introduced into the microphone 171 , it is possible to increase the reception efficiency of the collision sound of the inspection point detected by the microphone 171 .

The embodiments according to the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer components and recorded in a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and used by those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include hard disks, magnetic media such as floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magneto-optical media such as floppy disks. medium), and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. A hardware device may be converted into one or more software modules to perform processing in accordance with the present invention, and vice versa.

The specific implementations described in the present invention are only examples, and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. For brevity of the specification, descriptions of conventional electronic components, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the systems may be omitted. In addition, the connections or connecting members of the lines between the components shown in the drawings exemplify functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections, and in an actual device, various functional connections, physical connections that are replaceable or additional may be referred to as connections, or circuit connections. In addition, unless there is a specific reference such as “essential” or “importantly”, it may not be a necessary component for the application of the present invention.

In addition, although the detailed description of the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art or those having ordinary knowledge in the art will appreciate the spirit of the present invention described in the claims to be described later. And it will be understood that various modifications and variations of the present invention can be made without departing from the technical scope. Accordingly, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (7)

terminal; and
Including; and an unmanned aerial vehicle that receives the inspection route information from the terminal and inspects the inspection object.
The terminal displays the inspection area model set in response to selection of a plurality of points on the displayed three-dimensional model of the bridge, and detects surface shape information of the inspection area model based on the three-dimensional model data,
The terminal displays a three-dimensional model of the object to be inspected, sets an inspection region in response to selection of a plurality of points on the three-dimensional model, displays the inspection region model, and based on the data of the three-dimensional model On the basis of shape information of the surface including height information and substructure information for a plurality of points on the surface of the inspection object and the shape information of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle is located in the shaded area corresponding to the position of the lower part of the inspection object. A flight path is set so that the unmanned aerial vehicle passes through the non-shaded area a plurality of times when inspecting the object to be inspected, and the location search method of the unmanned aerial vehicle is switched in response to the unmanned aerial vehicle passing through the non-shaded area a plurality of times. Set the inspection route by setting the location search method conversion start point information that starts the change of the location search method of the unmanned aerial vehicle,
The unmanned aerial vehicle is installed in a main body, a camera position control module connected to the main body, a camera installed in the camera position control module, a lidar position control module connected to the main body, and the lidar position control module and is detected by the camera. Including a lidar sensor and an internal crack inspection module for detecting distance information to an inspection point in order to determine the size of the crack of the inspection structure detected in the photographed image,
When the unmanned aerial vehicle enters the shaded area at an altitude determined in the non-shaded area and moves along the inspection path, distance information and the surface between the unmanned aerial vehicle detected by the lidar sensor and the inspection object in the shaded area Based on the shape information of The case where the distance of the route is more than the preset value and the case where it is less than the preset value are distinguished, and while flying according to a flight plan established differently, the photographed image information of the inspection point and the distance information between the photographing point and the unmanned aerial vehicle are transmitted to the terminal,
The internal crack inspection module is connected to the main body and is rotatable in various directions based on a point connected to the main body, is located inside the housing link and is inserted into the housing link or pulled out from the inside of the housing link The extendable extension link, the contact portion reciprocating along the longitudinal direction of the extension link to apply a physical impact to the inspection point, a microphone installed at the end of the extension link and detecting a sound according to the physical impact, and the contact portion cover portion including,
The contact part cover part includes a canopy, a plurality of canopy ribs that are spaced apart from each other on the outer surface of the canopy and have a predetermined elasticity and maintain the shape of the canopy, a locking part formed on one side of the canopy rib, and located on the outside of the canopy a plurality of spreaders having one side connected to the stopping part and the other side connected to the extension link, the stopping part being inserted into the stopping part receiving groove formed on one side of the spreader within a predetermined range along the longitudinal direction of the spreader round-trip from
When the extension link extends from the housing link in order to block the inflow of noise from the microphone, the plurality of spreaders move along the extension link and the canopy is unfolded, and when the extension length of the extension link exceeds a predetermined length, The canopy surrounds the extension link.
A system for inspecting bridges. The method of claim 1,
The camera is changed in the shooting position by the camera position control module,
The lidar sensor is changed in position by the lidar position control module
A system for inspecting bridges. 3. The method of claim 2,
Based on the photographed image information generated by photographing a plurality of different inspection points in the inspection structure in a hovering state and distance information of each of the different plurality of inspection points, the presence or absence of cracks and the size information of the cracks in the image taken by the shopping mall to decide
A system for inspecting bridges. delete 4. The method of claim 3,
The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module,
estimating the current position information based on the shape information of the surface of the inspection object and the measurement information of the lidar sensor in the shaded area,
Detecting current location information by the GNSS module in the non-shaded area
A system for inspecting bridges. 6. The method of claim 5,
Determining whether or not internal cracks are generated based on the sound generated by the unmanned aerial vehicle hitting the inspection object
A system for inspecting bridges. delete

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