Bridge inspection system using multicopter

maruko_1

Flying Digital Camera named マルコ™ (maruko) which focused on inspection of slab deck bridge, high pier and pier’s portion visible above water.

Nippon Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd. which has accumulated surveys and implements in the field of bridge conservation and Kawada Technologies, Inc. which has strength in development of next-generation robots as well as bridge design and construction are collaborated, supported by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), developing a drone that fulfills the needs of bridge inspection, “マルコ ™ (maruko)”, a flying digital camera.

We will continue trial bridge inspections by マルコ ™ (maruko) for actual bridge. In addition, we will utilize open innovation system to train a pilot, to build an implemention system, to analyze images and to employ artificial intelligence (AI) technology. We aim to put it into practice at the end of 2019.

This project was conducted as a part of “System development project for social tasks such as infrastructure maintenance / updating” run by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).


Features: – Rotary blades which are resistant to complicated wind change – Safety control system that prevents the machine to deviate from the inspection area – Small body that allows easy handling at the site and enables various operations – Detectable from 0.05mm clack width – Ensure image quality even in situation where the positional relation between the airframe(camera) and the subject is difficult to see

 

Type: Radio controlled quadcopter
Size: Flight 900mm×900mm
Carry-on:520mm×520mm
Total weight: 7.0kg
Flight time: 5 mins
Rotary blades: Variable pitch quadrotor with governor
Aircraft stability system: Variable pitch quadrotor with governor
Aircraft stability system: Stable hovering control
6-axis gyro camera + ultrasonic sensor (optical flow)
Image Shooting Support system: Automatically keep constant distance to the subject
Ultrasonic sensor
Updraft / downdraft control
Barometric pressure sensor
Camera stabilizer: 3 axis gyro, laser rangefinder
illumination: LED
Safety control system : Mooring device with two ropes