SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 20 May 2022
STP163320200059

Development of a Building Inspection Method Using Drones and Its Possible Utilization in Sealant Field Maintenance

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Drones have the potential to save on labor and reduce costs associated with building inspections. In this study, I considered the prospect of how drones could be used in sealant field maintenance based on technological developments related to drone-based building inspections. First, I researched and compiled a “road map'” of drone utilization in Japan and studied the related laws and regulations applicable to road map. Next, I conducted research on current inspection technology and the level of applicability of this technology when conducting a building inspection using drones. Through this I found that drone-based inspections could reduce the cost and time of surveying compared with current normal methods of inspection. I also proposed solutions to accidental drone crashes during building inspections, for example, using line guidance systems and practicing safe drone flight using mixed reality. These systems were found to considerably reduce the risk of drone collision. The image accuracy of drone-mounted cameras with different image resolutions were also evaluated, and I found that it was necessary to select a camera and drone based on the performance required for an inspection. Moreover, the development of automatic drone inspection technology, and our verification experiments of such, showed that surveying a building via drone flight was possible even in a non-GPS environment by using visual simultaneous localization and mapping technology. In addition, the image information captured by the drone can be saved as an archive, making it possible to store building deterioration data and use it for other deterioration tests. Finally, to realize the social implementation of drones, I established the Japan Architectural Drone Association and developed a safe and secure building inspection method via drones by creating an education program and defining building inspection protocols and specifications for drones.

Author Information

Miyauchi, Hiroyuki
Building Research Institute, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, JP
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Pages: 39–54
DOI: 10.1520/STP163320200059
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7713-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7712-3