CALTRANS Bridge Inspection Aerial Robot Report

You are here: Homepage > Search

CALTRANS Bridge Inspection Aerial Robot Report

P. S. Miller

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) project resulted in the development of a twin-motor, single duct, electric-powered Aerobot designed of carrying video cameras up to 200 feet in elevation to enable close inspection of bridges and other elevated highway structures. The Aerobot designed to perform that mission, the model ES20-10, is a forty-pound vehicle employing two electric motors with power, control commands, and sensor images transmitted through a thin-wire and fiber-optic 200-foot cable. Aerobot is a ducted-fan vehicle utilizing a unique computer-aided stabilization and control system. The vehicle is capable of vertical takeoff, translation to horizontal movement as commanded by the pilot, hover at a point in space as commanded, rotation about its vertical axis (yaw control), and controlled descent to a vertical landing. This control permits extensive mobility for positioning the inspection camera to view elevated structures close-up from any angle. The system is designed to be very safe to operate in that it allows a video camera to be placed close to the structure being inspected while the operating personnel remain safely on the ground. The ducted fans are encased deep within the duct and the duct inlet can be fitted with a safety screen. Onboard computer controls stabilize the Aerobot at all times. Due to a number of implementation issues, the device did not perform as expected within the initial or extended schedule of events and was not deployed.