Stormwater 2016 Conference_Drone Trial

DRONE TRIAL

Using drones to inspect open stormwater channels

Pramod Janardhanan

BackgroundArea of operations 12,700

sq km

300 sq km of stormwater

catchments

Stormwater mixed

ownership

447 km of stormwater

assets

150 km open channel

Open channel - Person

entry inspections

IssuesRequire physical entry into asset

Need to manage risk of working

in live asset – safety, fatigue,

engulfment

Time consuming and resource

intensive.

Some sites are difficult to access:

permanent body of water,

adjacent to buildings, steep bank

slopes, overgrown vegetation etc

Aerial Drone Trial (UAVs)Aerial drones (Unmanned Aerial

Vehicles)

Close-up UAV-based inspection.

Provider – Propeller Aero Pty Ltd

Provides data viewing platform (online web software with secure

access)

Engage licensed UAV

Operator - AUAV

Trial completed in

Nov 2015

Aerial Drone TrialCooks River

Aerial Drone Trial - Output

Aerial Drone Trial - OutputDigital platform

https://app.prpellr.com/login?next=/

https://app.prpellr.com/login?next=/

Aquatic Drone Trial (UUV)Aquatic Drones (Unmanned

Underwater Vehicles)Above and below water

inspections

Provider – Abyss Solutions Pty Ltd

Trial completed in Mar 2016

Aquatic Drone TrialAlexandra Canal

Aquatic Drone Trial - Output

Trial - LearningsMultiple

cameras on

drones

Weather

Use of

drone around

airport – no fly

zone ~ 3nm

radius zone

BenefitsImproved safety

Efficient and Effective

Reduced Cost

Access difficult or busy sites

What’s next

Trial use of machine learning to automate inspections using ‘aquatic’ drones for remaining sections of Alexandra Canal

Trail use of app to remotely capture condition assessment data from field into works and asset management system

Adopt for broader inspection program – mix of aerial and aquatic drones.

Integrate with GIS systems

James [email protected] 738 521

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.auav.com.au/

It’s all about the data!

• Don’t get caught up with the technology – focus on the outputs

• Chose a technology that meets the output needs not what is available

• Presentation, data analytics and reporting are vitally important

• Not just pretty pictures• Survey grade elevation data• Ortho-rectified maps• Images

Safety and regulations

• Must remain in line of sight• Excluded from 3nm of ‘towered

aerodromes’• Certification for commercial operations• Not with 30m of persons or buildings• Not above 400ft

Fixed vs Rotor

Why use a UAV?

• Safety of ground staff• Cheaper than a manned flight• Accurate representation of the landscape• Default outputs are orthorectified• GIS processing can automate the resource assessment• Provides data for decision making• Visualizations from an elevated waypoint

• Not every job is better with a UAV!

Sensors - thermal

Safety risks peculiar to a UAV operator

• Small business <3 operators or individual working within a multi discipline company

• Little peer support• New industry with multiple aircraft platforms• Minimal training• Often not a full time job, lack of on-going

experience

• These are not toys, they are high risk tool in inexperienced hands

Initial site inspection

Clear grassy area Fenced up to the bank

Concrete barrier under bridge

Deployment sites

Tether range = 300 mWorking range = 150 m

Data Collection – Above Water

Parameters SettingsDistance from bank (d, m) 3-10 m Imaging frequency (Δ, captures/second) 2 Speed of drone (S, m/s) 1Time of transact (/100m) 10-15 Time of day Direct sunlight on bank

330233.731 E 6243910.021 N (MGA) 330233.351 E 6243909.780 N (MGA) 330232.972 E 6243909.391 N (MGA)

Data Collection – Below Water

Parameters SettingsDistance from bank (d, m) 0.3 – 0.5Imaging frequency (Δ, captures/second) 2 Speed of drone (S, m/s) 0.3Time of transact (/10m) 30 Time of day Direct sunlight on bank

34356.721 E 612340.021 N 1.2 D 34356.461 E 612340.435 N 1.2 D 34356.744 E 612340.0123 N 1.2 D

Image Enhancement – allows better fault identification

Before After

If picture quality is not good – critical faults may be missed

Normal ROV Abyss

Crack visibleCrack invisible

Underwater 3D model

ResetSydney

Canal Site

Heat Map

Questions ?

Stormwater 2016 Conference_Drone Trial

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