EPSRC Reference: |
GR/L16743/01 |
Title: |
OBJECT TRACKING AND CAMERA SIGHTLINE CONTROL FOR AUTOMATED INSPECTION OF ELECTRICAL POWER LINES (ERCOS) |
Principal Investigator: |
Jones, Dr DI |
Other Investigators: |
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Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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Project Partners: |
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Department: |
Sch of Electronics |
Organisation: |
Bangor University |
Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
Starts: |
01 February 1997 |
Ends: |
31 July 2000 |
Value (£): |
140,990
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EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
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EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
Energy |
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Related Grants: |
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Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
Electricity Companies routinely inspect their overhead lines by helicopter but it is generally an expensive, hazardous and imprecise exercise. This grant application proposes a means for automating the inspection process in order to improve its quality, safety and productivity. Recent experiments using an inertially stabilized camera and video recorder on board a helicopter revealed several problems, the main ones being initially acquiring a specific pole or tower into the camera field of view and then visually tracking a particular feature as the helicopter moves. The research proposed here will:* Investigate whether the sightline to a pole or tower can be set coarsely using information from the Differential Global Positioning System and a network database;* Develop image recognition and sightline control algorithms for visual tracking of reference points.*Demonstrate the concept by means of a hardware-in-the-loop simulation.The main benefits anticipated from automating the inspection processes are:* reduction of Electricity Companies' costs* improved customer care through fewer power outages.* reduced exposure of workers to arduous and hazardous conditions.
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Key Findings |
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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Impacts |
Description |
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Summary |
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Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Project URL: |
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Further Information: |
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Organisation Website: |
http://www.bangor.ac.uk |