UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AND UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE TEAMING FOR REMOTE INFRASTRUCTURE INSPECTION

摘要

Infrastructure is remotely inspected using a sensor pod such as an unmanned ground vehicle and sensors adapted to inspect a surface of the infrastructure and an unmanned aircraft adapted to interoperate with the sensor pod. The sensor pod drives along the surface of the infrastructure being inspected. A tether to the unmanned aircraft deploys and retrieves the sensor pod on the surface of the infrastructure. Electronic sensors of the sensor pod are deployable in a crevice of the surface of the infrastructure obstructed from view by the unmanned aircraft. The unmanned aircraft can comprise a radio repeater adapted to relay ground commands to the sensor pod.

主权项

1. A method for remotely inspecting infrastructure, comprising the steps of:
(a) deploying a sensor pod onto a surface of the infrastructure using an unmanned aircraft; and (b) inspecting the infrastructure using the sensor pod after said step (a) of deploying.