THE MAGAZINE FOR THE DRAINAGE, WATER & WASTEWATER INDUSTRIES
TECHNICAL FEATURES
An image taken by the Elios in a high flow wastewater system
A point cloud of a sewer pipe created using Inspector
Drones also have the potential to eliminate the need for using expensive robotics solutions like those described above, which can help inspectors realise even more savings.
2. Safety
The type of confined space entry required for wastewater inspections always presents a certain level of risk to inspectors.
In addition, sewers present specific safety hazards to inspectors in the form of rushing water and the potential presence of noxious gases, such as Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). In some cases, inspectors must use scuba gear outfitted with PPE to protect them from the presence of raw sewage in order to conduct their inspections.
Using an indoor drone to collect visual data can reduce or even eliminate the need for inspectors to enter a sewer system, vastly improving safety for the inspection process.
3. Data localisation
Another drawback to using CCTV or robotics solutions for collecting data within wastewater systems is that it can be hard to pinpoint the exact location of a defect identified by these methods—inspectors may see something that needs to be fixed, but they can’t always tell where it is in the asset.
But identifying a defect is only half the job of an inspection.
Inspectors also need to be able to tell their clients where defects are located in a way that can be shared with others, so that the defect can be evaluated and maintenance can be performed quickly and efficiently.
Flyability’s Inspector software allows inspectors to pinpoint the location of defects identified during inspection flights.
This data comes in the form of sparse point clouds that provide accurate, detailed data about the locations of defects found during a mission. These point clouds have highly accurate data, with the Elios 3's Surveying Payload achieving point clouds accurate to 1 centimetre, which allows wastewater inspectors to measure the size of the defects and pinpoint where further investigation or attention is required.
4. 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
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or other more expensive robotics solutions.
Inspectors working in wastewater systems have reported using the Elios 3 to capture “crystal clear” media of a quality they’ve never been able to achieve before. The Elios 3 has a 12MP camera and can capture video in 4K, providing a high level of detail that allows for remote close visual inspections.
The powerful lighting on the Elios 3 enables it to provide clear visual data for pilots doing wastewater inspections
A few other elements that contribute to the high quality of the drone’s images and videos are:
• Lighting. The Elios carries 10'000 lumens of light, enough for it to light up a dark sewer system so that inspectors can see every part of it.
• Camera control. Inspectors can control the speed and angle of the camera, swivelling 180 degrees up and down, allowing them to capture exactly what they need for inspection purposes.
• Drone control. Inspectors can hover in one location, or fly back in order to investigate a defect further, allowing them to capture as much clear, high quality video footage of an area as they need.
• Lighting control. Lighting can be shifted to provide an oblique lightsource that reveals pitting and depth, similar to the effect of an inspector moving a flashlight around the surface of an object.
An inspector controls an
Elios drone inside a sewer system from the surface
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