A remotely controlled unmanned aerial device for use in proximity or in contact with high voltage powerlines, includes an unmanned aerial vehicle and an electrically conductive shield forming part of or operatively coupled to so as to encapsulate the unmanned aerial vehicle. When in the presence of a high voltage powerline, the unmanned aerial vehicle either when bonded-on or within the corresponding magnetic fields of the powerline, so as to transfer the powerline potential in whole or in part to the unmanned aerial vehicle, electrically energizes the conductive shield around the unmanned aerial vehicle while leaving components of the unmanned aerial vehicle within the shield substantially electrically unaffected by the voltage potential.

A power station inspection system and a power station inspection method are disclosed. A power station inspection system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle, and an unmanned aerial vehicle flight controller, a central controller, and at least two types of data collection terminals that are disposed on the unmanned aerial vehicle. The central controller is configured to control the unmanned aerial vehicle flight controller, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle flight controller controls flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The central controller is further configured to control the at least two types of data collection terminals to collect at least two types of component image data of a power station component in a flight process of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for inspecting an aircraft. A computer system receives captured data associated with a flight path flown by an unmanned aircraft system to acquire the captured data for the aircraft. The computer system compares the captured data with reference data for the aircraft to form a comparison. The computer system determines whether the captured data is within a set of tolerances for valid captured data using a result of the comparison. Prior to detecting anomalies for the aircraft using the captured data, the computer system determines a set of corrective actions in response to the captured data being outside of the set of tolerances for the valid captured data in which the set of corrective actions is performed.

A method of inspecting a curved surface using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by activating a plurality of sensors having at least respective portions disposed on the curved surface, the method including flying the UAV to a proximity of a first of the plurality of sensors; activating the first sensor by an activation device coupled to the UAV; attaching at least one magnetic leg of the UAV to a ferromagnetic surface proximate the first sensor, the at least one magnetic leg having a magnet, moving the activation device coupled to the UAV towards the first sensor while the at least one magnetic leg is attached to the ferromagnetic surface; and, when the activation device is positioned in proximity of the first sensor, receiving first sensor data from the activated first sensor via the activation device.

A remotely controlled unmanned aerial device for use in proximity or in contact with high voltage powerlines, includes an unmanned aerial vehicle and an electrically conductive shield forming part of or operatively coupled to so as to encapsulate the unmanned aerial vehicle. When in the presence of a high voltage powerline, the unmanned aerial vehicle either when bonded-on or within the corresponding magnetic fields of the powerline, so as to transfer the powerline potential in whole or in part to the unmanned aerial vehicle, electrically energizes the conductive shield around the unmanned aerial vehicle while leaving components of the unmanned aerial vehicle within the shield substantially electrically unaffected by the voltage potential.

Method for inspecting and/or manipulating a beam at a lower side of a roof or deck, the beam including a strip, the method comprising the steps of: providing an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, wherein the UAV comprises a body, a number of rotors, a first arm; and an inspection and/or manipulation tool; while the first arm is in the first position, flying the UAV towards the beam; when the UAV contacts the beam, moving the first arm from the first position to the second position such that the end of the first arm is moved to a position vertically above the strip; reduce the propulsion force until the UAV hangs from the beam with the end of the arm in contact with and supported by the strip; and inspecting and/or manipulating the beam, using the inspection and/or manipulation tool, while the UAV hangs from the beam.

An information processing device 1 includes a feature detection unit 28 for detecting, from a construction image acquired by an imaging device by capturing an image of a construction that includes a plurality of unit structures respectively having identical or similar external structures, a feature relating to the external structures, and a unit structure estimation unit 29 for estimating parts of the construction image that correspond respectively to the plurality of unit structures included in the construction on the basis of a plurality of the detected features.

Described herein is a fully autonomous drone-based track inspection system that does not rely on GPS but instead uses optical images taken from the drone to identify the railroad track and navigate the drone to cruise along the track to perform track inspection tasks; track images are taken by the onboard drone camera and processed to provide both navigation information for autonomous drone flight control and track component health evaluation.

A system for construction management including a device having at least one processor and a memory storing at least one program for execution by the at least one processor, the at least one program including instructions, when, executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform operations. The operations include receiving as input an electronic version of a document; identifying at least one string of data from the electronic version of the document; mapping the identified at least one string of data to a predetermined unitary database including at least one key string of data associated with at least one key event; tagging the mapped and identified at least one string of data with a tag associated with the at least one key string of data associated with the at least one key event; and transmitting a signal based on the tagged, mapped, and identified at least one string of data. Related methods, devices, apparatuses, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

A method for testing a lightning protection system and/or a lightning detection system of a wind turbine is provided, the method including usage of an unmanned aerial vehicle including an electrical impulse generator capable to simulate a lightning strike by discharging an electrical impulse, whereby the method includes the steps of: (a) maneuvering the unmanned aerial vehicle with the electrical impulse generator contacting the wind turbine or with the electrical impulse generator being within a range of the electrical impulse generator to the wind turbine such that the electrical impulse discharged by the electrical impulse generator will impact the wind turbine, and (b) discharging the electrical impulse by the electrical impulse generator such that the discharged electrical impulse impacts the wind turbine as an impacting electrical impulse.