Sensor Package Deployment and Recovery Cone With Integrated Video Streaming for Rapid Structural Health Monitoring

Abstract This study presents an approach for structural health monitoring (SHM) of remote and hazardous structures using unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs). The method focuses on overcoming the challenges associated with traditional sensor deployment techniques, which are often costly and risky due to the decaying nature of the targeted structures. Utilizing a multi-rotor UAV platform, a streaming camera is integrated into a recovery cone to aid in visual alignment during deployment and retrieval providing a safe and cost-effective means of sensor delivery. The paper covers the design of a video-broadcasting deployment system with integrated electropermanent magnets (EPMs), housed in a 3D-printed recovery cone, supplemented by redundancy measures to enhance safety and reliability. This proposed system significantly improves the user’s spatial awareness and aids in precise sensor package alignment, facilitated by multiple camera views providing a dual purpose of conducting visual inspection in addition to aiding in sensor delivery. The experimental analysis presented in this study validates the system’s effectiveness, demonstrating the utility of camera-aided sensor delivery for rapid SHM applications. Navigation challenges due to proximity to metal structures and the difficulties associated with signal strength and reflections are also reported. The contribution of this work is a methodology for aerial sensor deployment and retrieval using a lightweight 3D-printed recovery cone with integrated cameras for navigation and sensor alignment.