Assisted Control for Semi-Autonomous Power Infrastructure Inspection using Aerial Vehicles

TL;DR

This paper introduces an assisted control system for small aerial vehicles to improve safety and reduce operator workload during power infrastructure inspections, combining sensor analysis and autonomous collision avoidance.

Contribution

It presents a novel assisted control approach that integrates sensor performance analysis with autonomous collision avoidance for aerial infrastructure inspection.

Findings

Successful implementation in simulated and real environments

Enhanced safety through autonomous collision avoidance

Reduced operator workload during inspections

Abstract

This paper presents the design and implementation of an assisted control technology for a small multirotor platform for aerial inspection of fixed energy infrastructure. Sensor placement is supported by a theoretical analysis of expected sensor performance and constrained platform behaviour to speed up implementation. The optical sensors provide relative position information between the platform and the asset, which enables human operator inputs to be autonomously adjusted to ensure safe separation. The assisted control approach is designed to reduced operator workload during close proximity inspection tasks, with collision avoidance and safe separation managed autonomously. The energy infrastructure includes single vertical wooden poles and crossarm with attached overhead wires. Simulated and real experimental results are provided.