Inspector 3.0 To Revolutionize Internal Inspection Processes
Flyability, a leading provider of solutions for remote internal inspections, has announced the launch of a new software that allows inspectors to precisely locate the defects they find during inspections performed with the Elios 2 drone. Following a successful beta testing phase that included over 150 users, Inspector 3.0 is now available for all Elios 2 users.
“Inspector 3.0 represents a big step forward in our greater mission to remove the need for humans to enter confined spaces in the workplace,” says Patrick Thévoz, CEO of Flyability. “The ability to see the precise location of inspection data within an asset will help inspectors be more efficient and help their clients be even more productive with the results they get from inspections.”
Inspectors conducting manual inspections will usually know where a defect is located because they are literally standing in front of it when they find it. But the use of new Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) tools like the Elios 2 to collect visual data brings with it inherent localization issues, due to the lack of indoor positioning systems like GPS.
Without built-in locational data, inspectors must use a mishmash of data points to localize their data, combining barometric measurements, maps, blueprints, and reference points in video feeds—all so they can know where something they see in a section of video footage is actually located within an asset.
But no more. With Inspector 3.0, inspectors can generate a sparse point cloud that shows them exactly where the defects they see in their inspection data are located within an asset, all based on data the Elios 2 already collects. Creating these point clouds does not require expensive technology, such as LiDAR, or long processing times, such as those required by photogrammetry software.
“Often, we may know that there is damage inside an asset, but not know specifically where it is,” says Simon Kumm, Confined Space Inspections Expert at InspecDrone GmbH. “Inspector 3.0 solves this problem.”
Locational data is a crucial part of the maintenance process. For example, when repairing a pipe in a wastewater system that requires digging through ten feet of dirt, the last thing you want is to dig the hole only to discover you have arrived at the wrong location to do the work.
Locational data is also essential for synchronizing and aligning the different stakeholders in a maintenance operation. Scaffolders will need to understand where defects are located to properly stage the asset for maintenance, and a repair crew will need to have a preview of all defects while spatially figuring out where they are inside the asset.
“The localization feature of Inspector 3.0 is really what was missing up until now,” says Thibault Chatillon, Innovation and Development Manager at Setec. “It was always requested by my customers. Now I can say, look, it’s here.”
For more information: www.flyability.com
