In order to provide an improved and cost-efficient method and tool for performing a defect detection procedure aiming at the detection of a defect underneath an outer protection layer covering the leading edge of a wind turbine generator blade a method is described during which a tool tip is being biased against the surface of the outer protection layer while being guided over the outer protection layer and deviations in the uniformity of the at least one feedback value are sensed to identify potential defects. A tool and a detection unit suitable for the described method is also described.

In order to provide an improved and cost-efficient method and tool for performing a defect detection procedure aiming at the detection of a defect underneath an outer protection layer covering the leading edge of a wind turbine generator blade a method is described during which a tool tip is being biased against the surface of the outer protection layer while being guided over the outer protection layer and deviations in the uniformity of the at least one feedback value are sensed to identify potential defects. A tool and a detection unit suitable for the described method is also described.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer program products for facilitating human intervention in an autonomous device are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method of facilitating human intervention in an autonomous device includes a service controller selecting from a first plurality of human interventionists, by a service controller, a first set of human interventionists to respond to a request associated with an autonomous device; transmitting, by the service controller, the request to a first set of interventionist devices, each interventionist device of the first set of interventionist devices associated with a particular human interventionist in the first set of human interventionists; and receiving from the first set of interventionist devices, by the service controller, a first set of interventionist responses to the request.

One preferable aspect of the present invention is a state detecting system which detects a state of a machine device based on a detection signal from a detecting element provided to the machine device, and is the state detecting system which includes a non-normal time rate detecting unit which detects a rate or a value as a non-normal time rate, the rate being a rate of an integration value of a time during which an amplitude of the detection signal exceeds a predetermined normal amplitude within a predetermined time, and the value being physically equivalent to the rate.

One preferable aspect of the present invention is a state detecting system which detects a state of a machine device based on a detection signal from a detecting element provided to the machine device, and is the state detecting system which includes a non-normal time rate detecting unit which detects a rate or a value as a non-normal time rate, the rate being a rate of an integration value of a time during which an amplitude of the detection signal exceeds a predetermined normal amplitude within a predetermined time, and the value being physically equivalent to the rate.

A method for determining a quality of a friction stir welded seam is described. The method involves applying an impact to a welded plate and comparing its damping capacity with the damping capacity of a geometrically equivalent defect-free plate. Damping capacities that differ by a small percent difference indicate that the welded plate is also defect-free. This method is particularly advantageous when dealing with small defects, which produce miniscule changes in natural frequency which may not be measureable.

A method for determining a quality of a friction stir welded seam is described. The method involves applying an impact to a welded plate and comparing its damping capacity with the damping capacity of a geometrically equivalent defect-free plate. Damping capacities that differ by a small percent difference indicate that the welded plate is also defect-free. This method is particularly advantageous when dealing with small defects, which produce miniscule changes in natural frequency which may not be measureable.

A method for determining a quality of a friction stir welded seam is described. The method involves applying an impact to a welded plate and comparing its damping capacity with the damping capacity of a geometrically equivalent defect-free plate. Damping capacities that differ by a small percent difference indicate that the welded plate is also defect-free. This method is particularly advantageous when dealing with small defects, which produce miniscule changes in natural frequency which may not be measureable.

A method for determining a quality of a friction stir welded seam is described. The method involves applying an impact to a welded plate and comparing its damping capacity with the damping capacity of a geometrically equivalent defect-free plate. Damping capacities that differ by a small percent difference indicate that the welded plate is also defect-free. This method is particularly advantageous when dealing with small defects, which produce miniscule changes in natural frequency which may not be measureable.

A method for establishing operating loads, in particular wind loads, for tower structures, in particular for tower structures for wind power installations is provided. Provided is a method for designing a tower structure, in particular a tower structure for a wind power installation, a method for determining the service life of a tower structure, in particular a tower structure for a wind power installation, and a tower structure, in particular a tower structure for a wind power installation, and a wind power installation. The method for establishing operating loads for tower structures comprises establishing a load parameter in a load direction, establishing a load direction occurrence distribution, establishing a load parameter modified by the load direction distribution.