Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case Studies
Using aerial platforms for Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) of large and complex structures is a growing field of interest in various industries. Infrastructures such as: buildings, bridges, oil and gas, etc. refineries require regular and extensive inspections. The inspection reports are used to pl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Drones |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/4/106 |
| _version_ | 1797505372093677568 |
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| author | Parham Nooralishahi Clemente Ibarra-Castanedo Shakeb Deane Fernando López Shashank Pant Marc Genest Nicolas P. Avdelidis Xavier P. V. Maldague |
| author_facet | Parham Nooralishahi Clemente Ibarra-Castanedo Shakeb Deane Fernando López Shashank Pant Marc Genest Nicolas P. Avdelidis Xavier P. V. Maldague |
| author_sort | Parham Nooralishahi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Using aerial platforms for Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) of large and complex structures is a growing field of interest in various industries. Infrastructures such as: buildings, bridges, oil and gas, etc. refineries require regular and extensive inspections. The inspection reports are used to plan and perform required maintenance, ensuring their structural health and the safety of the workers. However, performing these inspections can be challenging due to the size of the facility, the lack of easy access, the health risks for the inspectors, or several other reasons, which has convinced companies to invest more in drones as an alternative solution to overcome these challenges. The autonomous nature of drones can assist companies in reducing inspection time and cost. Moreover, the employment of drones can lower the number of required personnel for inspection and can increase personnel safety. Finally, drones can provide a safe and reliable solution for inspecting hard-to-reach or hazardous areas. Despite the recent developments in drone-based NDI to reliably detect defects, several limitations and challenges still need to be addressed. In this paper, a brief review of the history of unmanned aerial vehicles, along with a comprehensive review of studies focused on UAV-based NDI of industrial and commercial facilities, are provided. Moreover, the benefits of using drones in inspections as an alternative to conventional methods are discussed, along with the challenges and open problems of employing drones in industrial inspections, are explored. Finally, some of our case studies conducted in different industrial fields in the field of Non-Destructive Inspection are presented. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:17:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1d1d178766a94a8fa5561b86823cf7ff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-446X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:17:42Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Drones |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d1d178766a94a8fa5561b86823cf7ff2023-11-23T07:57:12ZengMDPI AGDrones2504-446X2021-09-015410610.3390/drones5040106Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case StudiesParham Nooralishahi0Clemente Ibarra-Castanedo1Shakeb Deane2Fernando López3Shashank Pant4Marc Genest5Nicolas P. Avdelidis6Xavier P. V. Maldague7Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaSchool of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UKTORNGATS, Quebec City, QC G2E 5V9, CanadaNational Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, CanadaNational Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, CanadaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaUsing aerial platforms for Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) of large and complex structures is a growing field of interest in various industries. Infrastructures such as: buildings, bridges, oil and gas, etc. refineries require regular and extensive inspections. The inspection reports are used to plan and perform required maintenance, ensuring their structural health and the safety of the workers. However, performing these inspections can be challenging due to the size of the facility, the lack of easy access, the health risks for the inspectors, or several other reasons, which has convinced companies to invest more in drones as an alternative solution to overcome these challenges. The autonomous nature of drones can assist companies in reducing inspection time and cost. Moreover, the employment of drones can lower the number of required personnel for inspection and can increase personnel safety. Finally, drones can provide a safe and reliable solution for inspecting hard-to-reach or hazardous areas. Despite the recent developments in drone-based NDI to reliably detect defects, several limitations and challenges still need to be addressed. In this paper, a brief review of the history of unmanned aerial vehicles, along with a comprehensive review of studies focused on UAV-based NDI of industrial and commercial facilities, are provided. Moreover, the benefits of using drones in inspections as an alternative to conventional methods are discussed, along with the challenges and open problems of employing drones in industrial inspections, are explored. Finally, some of our case studies conducted in different industrial fields in the field of Non-Destructive Inspection are presented.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/4/106unmanned aerial vehiclethermographynon-destructive testing (NDT)aerial inspection |
| spellingShingle | Parham Nooralishahi Clemente Ibarra-Castanedo Shakeb Deane Fernando López Shashank Pant Marc Genest Nicolas P. Avdelidis Xavier P. V. Maldague Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case Studies Drones unmanned aerial vehicle thermography non-destructive testing (NDT) aerial inspection |
| title | Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case Studies |
| title_full | Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case Studies |
| title_fullStr | Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case Studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case Studies |
| title_short | Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case Studies |
| title_sort | drone based non destructive inspection of industrial sites a review and case studies |
| topic | unmanned aerial vehicle thermography non-destructive testing (NDT) aerial inspection |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/5/4/106 |
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