Harnessing GIS and Imagery for Power Transmission Inspection

ESRI European Users ConferenceOctober 15, 2015

About Us

Airborne/Threod• Designer, manufacturer & service provider for multi-rotor & fixed wing UAV

products• Deliver best in class solutions, services, and support• Application specific solutions & services to meet customer needs directly

InspecTools• Asset risk strategies for wind, solar, utility assets• UAVs & manned aircraft for aerial data acquisition• Actionable and ongoing asset awareness

Data Collection Modes

UAV MANNED AIRCRAFT

GROUND SATELLITE

Data Collection Sensors

Visual ImageryStereo ImageryMultispectral / NDVILive videoLiDARIR / Thermal

Pros & ConsUAVs MAN AIRCRAFT SATELLITE FOOT PATROL

Cost LOW HIGH LOW LOW / MED

Resolution HIGH LOW VERY LOW HIGHSensor Options

HIGH HIGH LOW LOW

Speed FAST FAST AVERAGE SLOW

EnvironmentDependent

LOW(rain/high winds)

HIGH (Cloud cover)

HIGH (Cloud Cover)

MED (rain, access)

Regulatory Required (CAA)

Required (CAA)

None Required(property access)

Power Line: Data Acquisition• Manned aircraft• PhoDAR (photo-based 3D modeling)• Data can locate assets & vegetation risks • Data can serve as baseline for future analysis• Develop terrain & canopy models• Deliver actionable information

Near IR Imagery Vegetation Health NDVI Height Model Priority Locations

Data Analysis

Risk Evaluation

Power Line: Deliverables

• Asset data• Location of poles & conductors

• Tree threat data • Trees identified & evaluated• Vegetation data • Source data

• Color IR orthoimagery• Classified LAS files produced from orthoimagery• Elevation model

Vegetation Analysis Case Study

Client: Elering (Estonian TSO)

The Threat: Annual overgrowth of brush and trees endangering lines

The Need: 1) Accurately identify brush ground area and number of trees to cut down2) To confirm the cutting work

Current method: Inspectors walk the lines on foot, take photos and make notes

Why UAVs?

• Inaccurate / human error• Limited as to distance can be covered in a

year

• Ineffective in difficult to reach places • No time for verification• Lack of accurate data for ordering cutting

works

• Quick to deploy • Single operator deployment

• Higher accuracy• Oblique imaging possible• No geographical limitations

• Increased coverage means healthier network• Save money on cutting works • Cheaper than helicopter

• Higher resolution vs manned aircraft• Can fly below cloud cover

WALK THE LINE UAVs

Method1. Work with client to understand specific needs, goals, etc.2. Create flight plan and approve with client3. Obtain required flight permissions 4. Acquire aerial imagery5. Locate transmission / distribution assets6. Develop terrain & canopy model7. Identify high risk trees8. Deliver actionable information to client to pass to contractors

or internal cutting works department

Flight Plan & Permissions

• Waypoint mapping options• Permission requested from Civil

Aviation Authority and Tallinn Harbor and granted within 1 week

• Coordination with local flight towers during operation

Aerial Platform - EOS

Hand Launch Parachute Landing

Photogrammetry Process

Stereo ImageAcquisition

Stereo Image Triangulation

Terrain and Tree Canopy Model

Ortho Image Visual Height Layer

Client Specific Filter(height + distance from center)

Visual Risk Layer

Risk Analytics – Previous

• Client historically wanted to look at small grid areas .5mx.5m with each grid classified by risk level

• Grids were then grouped into 4x4m cells turned into a dot matrix, and applied as a map layer

1 2

3 4 5

• Dot-matrix method yielded ~3-4x more trees than were actually present

• Airborne/InspecTools proposed analysis of tree crowns

• ~2x more accurate

We offered another way…

Vegetation Analysis ReportID Risk_Level Type date Method class height zone x_coord y_coord

1dangerous tree 5/29/2015Photogramm {07,15} 7.940{15,20} 549279.0625 6596508.5

2dangerous tree 5/29/2015Photogramm {07,15} 7.190{05,10} 550292.3125 6595861

3emergency tree 5/29/2015Photogramm {07,15} 7.349{05,10} 550288.3125 6595864

4emergency tree 5/29/2015Photogramm {07,15} 11.47{10,15} 548225.9375 6597210.5

5emergency tree 5/29/2015Photogramm {15,20} 16.77{05,10} 548630 6597149.5

6emergency tree 5/29/2015Photogramm {20,25} 20.90{05,10} 548627.0625 6597155

7emergency tree 5/29/2015Photogramm {15,20} 18.31{05,10} 548639.3125 6597155.5

Client requested Excel showing:

• Type of threat• Risk class• Height• Map zone• Coordinates of threat

Asset Evaluation – By UAV

Business Models

• Utilities perform processes internally• Contract for data acquisition, analyze internally• Contract for full service (data acq, analysis, results)

Thank You!Feedback and questions welcome

Sean Whalen, CEO sean@airborne.ee +372 5301 9198www.airborneinspector.com

Chris Bley , CEO chris.bley@inspectools.com+1 831 428 6655www.inspectools.com

APPENDIX

Solar Inspection: Overview• Aerial inspection using IR & imaging sensors• Analysis, reporting & storage of data• Boots on the ground, follow-up inspection• Defective module replacement tracking

Solar Inspection: Aerial Acquisition• Manned & unmanned aircraft• Specialized sensor payloads• High productivity, accuracy &

reliability• Low site impact

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Modules per hourOn GroundUAVManned aircraft

Solar Inspection: Ground Acquisition• Mobile map platform• Structured data collection• Off-line functionality• Web integration• Cleaning data compatible• Integrated reporting

Solar Inspection: Deliverables• Mapped locations of suspect modules• Mobile map interface• IR video & images

Blade Inspection: Mobile Data• Blade data available in the field• Structured data collection• Commissioning, on-ground

inspection, repair• Procedural guidance• Access to technical documents

Blade Inspection: Deliverables

Blade Inspection: Aerial Imaging

• High resolution images• Ideal vantage point• Increased safety• Fast & efficient• Automatable

• High resolution images• Ideal vantage point• Increased safety• Fast & efficient• Automatable

Blade Inspection: Overview• Purpose-built UAV: ITX8• Find defects at specific locations on blades • Reports generated from database• Cradle to grave condition data• Identify serial defects & under performance

Our Solutions

• Data acquisition systems using:• Manned & unmanned aircraft• Mobile apps for field use

• Cloud-based data storage & analysis• Geo-centric data reporting• Enterprise system integration

Problems We Address• Asset condition often poorly known• Current inspection options not economical• Inspection & maintenance not performed• Asset managers need better software• Owners forfeit benefit of warranties

Why Photogrammetry?

• Complements periodic, required LiDAR inspection• 50-75% less expensive than LiDAR• Faster, less expensive analysis• Yields vegetation health & species data• Suitable for transmission & distribution• Combines well with mobile LiDAR

The EOS

• 3.2m wing 1.6m length• Weight: 5.5kg• Flight time: up to 2hr• 50-110km/hr• Stabilized two-axis camera gimbal• Camera options

• Sony A5100• EO camera with 36x zoom• IR Camera 640x470 resolution• Other payloads available

• Geo-location, geo-tracking, video tracking

*Longer flight duration and faster flight speed models are available

Color IR Imagery & NDVI (optional)

• Stereo 4-Band Images• Includes NIR• Typically 6 or 12cm• Yields point clouds• Yields color images• Tree health and species ID

used as factor in risk calculation

* Was not performed in this case study but optional upon request

Client Needs1. Oblique imaging of towers and substations

1. GSD 2.5cm / pixel2. Towers captured as full towers (exposing legs and isolators in single photo3. Geo referenced photos

2. GSD of less than 5cm (actual was 2.5cm / pixel)3. 90m minimum ROW corridor width for 330kV lines and 60m for 110kV lines4. Minimum overlap of 60% - 90% of features within 20cm of true geolocation and no area more

than 30cm of true geodetic location.5. Brush and tree classification according to Client custom designed matrix relating distance from

line to height of identified object (tree or brush)6. Outputs

1. Digital ortho-photos (lossless JPEG2000 / TIFF format)2. Orthomosaic3. Oblique images4. ESRI compatible data shape file outputs5. Colored polygon area to represent brush and colored individual points for trees (color according to riskiness

class

Summary

HELICOPTER LIDAR UAV PHOTOGRAMMETRY FOOT PATROL

COST HIGH LOW LOW / MED

Vegetation analysis quality

GOOD GOOD POOR

Data depth/density GOOD FAIR POOR

Speed of deployment and data analysis

SLOW FAST SLOW

Requires NIR for Veg. Analysis

YES NO NO

Weather/Terrain Sensitive (i.e. clouds & marsh land)

YES NO YES

Future Value of Data

• Asset location data can be refined, tested, reused• Terrain data can be refined for more accuracy• Risk tree data can form a “watch” database• Mobile LiDAR data contains pole loading info• Mobile LiDAR & imagery is viable patrol alternative• All data delivered in standard ESRI formats

Thank you!Contact Information:

• Chris Bley, InspecTools• 2823 Mission St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA• (831) 428-6655• chris.bley@inspectools.com

• Sean Whalen, Airborne• Tallinn, Estonia• Phone• sean@airborne.ee