ProDroneWorx, specialists in digital inspection, surveying and modelling of assets or structures, safely carried out a confined space culvert inspection in the south of England using the drone technology – the Elios 2.
Previously, this type of inspection would have been carried out by a confined space team of more than 3 people. Our client wanted to avoid putting people’s lives at risk in a dangerous environment and decided to use a new innovative approach using remote non-invasive technology. There was no need for manned entry into the confined space to carry out the inspection.
Drones present several benefits as a tool for the remote visual inspection of tunnels, sewers, viaducts, culverts, chambers etc. Traditionally, inspectors rely on different methods for conducting visual inspections which are:
- Manned entry
- Raft or sled-mounted remote inspection, typically using CCTV cameras
- Robotic inspection, using CCTV cameras and/or other types of sensors (LiDAR, SONAR, and others)
Small, stable, and easy to control even in high flow conditions, a confined space drone can enter the structure and collect high quality visual data without any advance preparation, and at a relatively low cost.
There are a number of ways where confined space drones or boats are changing structural inspections for the better including:
Savings: Drone help make inspections more efficient by removing the need for inspectors to physically enter the structure thereby eliminating extra personnel costs like confined space teams and helping clients realise significant savings.
Safety: The type of confined space entry required for inspections always presents a certain level of risk to inspectors. Using a confined space drone to collect visual data can reduce or even eliminate the need for inspectors to enter a structure, vastly improving safety for the inspection process.
Data Localisation: the drones software allows inspectors to pinpoint the location of defects identified during inspection flights.
High Quality Visual Data: The quality of the images and video that can be captured using a drone is much higher than what can be captured using CCTV or other more expensive robotics solutions.
Access: Manned entry is just not feasible for some inspection scenarios due to access requirements or the need to temporarily bypass flows, which could be cost prohibitive or simply impossible (as in large diameter structures).
Find out more by visiting the ProDroneWorx website here.
Images – ProDroneWorx