Inspecting a solar panel using an unmanned aerial vehicle
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsWinston Garcia-Gabin, Bengt Stridh, Elina Vartiainen, Kari Saarinen, Per-Erik Modén, Veronika Domova
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for inspecting a solar panel of a solar power station is performed in a controller for an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, and includes the steps of: receiving an inspection request for a subset of the solar panels navigating, in a first stage, using radio signals, the UAV to an initial location in a vicinity of a particular solar panel of the subset of solar panels; positioning, in a second stage, the UAV using at least one near field sensor of the UAV; and capturing, using the infrared camera, an image of the particular solar panel.
Claims20
A method for inspecting a solar panel of a solar power station, the method being performed in a controller for an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, and comprising the steps of:
- receiving an inspection request for a subset of solar panels of the solar power station;
- navigating, in a first stage, using radio signals, the UAV to an initial location in a vicinity of a particular solar panel of the subset of solar panels;
- positioning, in a second stage, the UAV using at least one near field sensor of the UAV, such that an infrared camera of the UAV is disposed as close as possible, within a margin of error, to a direction being perpendicular to a main surface of the particular solar panel while preventing the UAV from shadowing the particular solar panel;
- and
- capturing, using the infrared camera, an image of the particular solar panel.
A controller for an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, the controller being arranged to inspect a solar panel of a solar power station, the controller comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the controller to:
- receive an inspection request for a subset of solar panels of the solar power station;
- navigate, in a first stage, using radio signals, the UAV to an initial location in a vicinity of a particular solar panel of the subset of solar panels;
- position, in a second stage, the UAV using at least one near field sensor of the UAV, such that an infrared camera of the UAV is disposed as close as possible, within a margin of error, to a direction being perpendicular to a main surface of the particular solar panel while preventing the UAV from shadowing the particular solar panel;
- and
- capture, using the infrared camera, an image of the particular solar panel.
A computer program for inspecting a solar panel of a solar power station, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a controller for an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, causes the controller to:
- receive an inspection request for a subset of solar panels of the solar power station;
- navigate, in a first stage, using radio signals, the UAV to an initial location in a vicinity of a particular solar panel of the subset of solar panels;
- position, in a second stage the UAV using at least one near field sensor of the UAV, such that an infrared camera of the UAV is disposed as close as possible, within a margin of error, to a direction being perpendicular to a main surface of the particular solar panel while preventing the UAV from shadowing the particular solar panel;
- and
- capture, using the infrared camera, an image of the particular solar panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.