UAV Assisted Bridge Defect Inspection System

Abstract : Traditional bridge inspection methods require lane closures, inspection equipment, and most importantly the experiences and knowledge of the inspectors. This increases not only the inspection cost and time, but also the risk to the travelling public. Due to the lengthy and costly traditional bridge inspection methods, there has been an increasing backlog of inspection activities. In this research, we design an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assisted bridge defect inspection system, in which a UAV can capture the image and transmit the information to the ground station for further analysis. The system can be divided into 2 subsystems: electromechanics & communication system, and image processing system. The electromechanics & communication systems ensure the self-locating, flight control, image transmission, and human intervention functions. The image processing system performs the image preprocessing, defect extraction, and provides the inspection report. This system, if put into practice, can save the cost up to 70%. We believe that the UAV assisted bridge inspection can be popular in the future.