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Autonomous Aerial Non-Destructive Testing: Ultrasound Inspection with a Commercial Quadrotor in an Unstructured Environment

Ruben Veenstra, Barbara Bazzana, Sander Smits, Antonio Franchi

Abstract

This work presents an integrated control and software architecture that enables arguably the first fully autonomous, contact-based non-destructive testing (NDT) using a commercial multirotor originally restricted to remotely-piloted operations. To allow autonomous operation with an off-the-shelf platform, we developed a real-time framework that interfaces directly with its onboard sensor suite. The architecture features a multi-rate control scheme: low-level control is executed at 200 Hz, force estimation at 100 Hz, while an admittance filter and trajectory planner operate at 50 Hz, ultimately supplying acceleration and yaw rate commands to the internal flight controller. We validate the system through physical experiments on a Flyability Elios 3 quadrotor equipped with an ultrasound payload. Relying exclusively on onboard sensing, the vehicle successfully performs autonomous NDT measurements within an unstructured, industrial-like environment. This work demonstrates the viability of retrofitting off-the-shelf platforms for autonomous physical interaction, paving the way for safe, contact-based inspection of hazardous and confined infrastructure.

Autonomous Aerial Non-Destructive Testing: Ultrasound Inspection with a Commercial Quadrotor in an Unstructured Environment

Abstract

This work presents an integrated control and software architecture that enables arguably the first fully autonomous, contact-based non-destructive testing (NDT) using a commercial multirotor originally restricted to remotely-piloted operations. To allow autonomous operation with an off-the-shelf platform, we developed a real-time framework that interfaces directly with its onboard sensor suite. The architecture features a multi-rate control scheme: low-level control is executed at 200 Hz, force estimation at 100 Hz, while an admittance filter and trajectory planner operate at 50 Hz, ultimately supplying acceleration and yaw rate commands to the internal flight controller. We validate the system through physical experiments on a Flyability Elios 3 quadrotor equipped with an ultrasound payload. Relying exclusively on onboard sensing, the vehicle successfully performs autonomous NDT measurements within an unstructured, industrial-like environment. This work demonstrates the viability of retrofitting off-the-shelf platforms for autonomous physical interaction, paving the way for safe, contact-based inspection of hazardous and confined infrastructure.
Paper Structure (19 sections, 6 equations, 9 figures, 2 tables)

This paper contains 19 sections, 6 equations, 9 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. System Overview
  4. Hardware description
  5. Inspection algorithm
  6. Control architecture
  7. Translational dynamics
  8. Force Estimator
  9. Admittance Filter
  10. PD Pose Controller
  11. Guiding Factors for NDT contact-based inspection
  12. Experimental Evaluation
  13. Autonomous Inspections
  14. System Evaluation
  15. Repeatability Analysis
  16. ...and 4 more sections

Figures (9)

  • Figure 1: The overview of our system, allowing to get NDT data through compliant interaction with an inspection surface, using onboard sensors. The algorithm is tested on the Flyability Elios3 in the industrial testbed at the University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
  • Figure 2: Flyability Elios3 System with highlight of the onboard sensors and equipment. LiDAR, vision and distance sensors are used for localization, the UT payload and the couplant gel for NDT data collection, the 4k optical camera and the thermal camera are shown online to the operator to provide with a clear understanding of the scenario, when operating the drone remotely.
  • Figure 3: Inspection algorithm flow diagram.
  • Figure 4: The constitutive modules of the control architecture, with the exchanged signals. The low-level control is proprietary software of Flyability, which is enclosed but can reliably follow acceleration and yaw rate setpoints.
  • Figure 5: (a) A wide view of the inspection location. An air duct is directly below the Elios3. The inspection takes place between rods, which may represent a collision risk. (b) The corresponding 3D map, as shown in the Cockpit App, together with the odometry.
  • ...and 4 more figures