Design Mini UAV: Detect Powerline Hotspots- Sensors & Cost

  • Thread starter Thread starter donstenx
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Designing Uav
AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on designing a mini UAV for detecting powerline hotspots, emphasizing the need for effective sensors. Participants suggest considering IR cameras, although concerns about their high cost are raised, prompting thoughts about creating or sourcing cheaper alternatives. The UAV must maintain a safe hovering distance of about one meter from powerlines, which presents challenges due to wind gusts affecting stability. The complexity of the project is highlighted, with a recommendation to define the UAV design first to determine suitable sensors. Overall, achieving reliable hovering and effective detection remains a significant engineering challenge.
donstenx
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Hey guys. I want to design a UAV that can do mission such as detection of powerline's hotspot. I've no idea what is the best sensors should i use for this mini-uav? I've been looking at FLIR, but it's so expensive. so i think i should create my own sensors or use a cheaper one. Any idea what ir sensors are good? It's better if it is non-contact sensors, with high field of view & suitable detection range.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
It seems the proximity of hovering would be a bigger issue. Powerlines are pretty high up and would be affected by wind gusts that would make hovering an issue unless you have some sort of compensators on your UAV.

How close can your UAV hover without crashing into the wires?
 
jedishrfu said:
It seems the proximity of hovering would be a bigger issue. Powerlines are pretty high up and would be affected by wind gusts that would make hovering an issue unless you have some sort of compensators on your UAV.

How close can your UAV hover without crashing into the wires?

Well, I haven't still decided on that though. but i think around 1m should be fine? i am focused on the sensors right now.
btw, thanks for your reply
 
donstenx said:
Well, I haven't still decided on that though. but i think around 1m should be fine? i am focused on the sensors right now.
btw, thanks for your reply

Okay so your sensors need to work from a meter away which means you need to be careful about directionality.

What if you used an IR camera?

Here's a website with some commentary on IR cameras and drones:

http://www.diydrones.com/forum/topics/infrared-camera-options
 
There is some work being done with UAV hovering by a company in the north of the UK but so
far even a high powered device cannot hover reliably within the tolerances you describe (1M)
at the sort of heights I suspect you would be working at. If you ever find a solution
to that issue please PM me.

Can you give more information on your UAV design (main points only) as I think that will
affect the sensors you need to employ due to : the temperature variations you need to distinguish
will have a big effect - especially at a distance under differing wind/temp conditions.
(This is a complex project to engineer)
In other words - define your sensor platform and then choose the sensors that can work from
it might be a good approach?
 

Thread 'Race car suspension Class'

Posted June 2024 - 15 years after starting this class. I have learned a whole lot. To get to the short course on making your stock car, late model, hobby stock E-mod handle, look at the index below. Read all posts on Roll Center, Jacking effect and Why does car drive straight to the wall when I gas it? Also read You really have two race cars. This will cover 90% of problems you have. Simply put, the car pushes going in and is loose coming out. You do not have enuff downforce on the right...
View full post »
Thread 'Physics of Stretch: What pressure does a band apply on a cylinder?'

Thread 'Physics of Stretch: What pressure does a band apply on a cylinder?'

Scenario 1 (figure 1) A continuous loop of elastic material is stretched around two metal bars. The top bar is attached to a load cell that reads force. The lower bar can be moved downwards to stretch the elastic material. The lower bar is moved downwards until the two bars are 1190mm apart, stretching the elastic material. The bars are 5mm thick, so the total internal loop length is 1200mm (1190mm + 5mm + 5mm). At this level of stretch, the load cell reads 45N tensile force. Key numbers...
View full post »

Thread 'Cantilever help'

I'm trying to decide what size and type of galvanized steel I need for 2 cantilever extensions. The cantilever is 5 ft. The space between the two cantilever arms is a 17 ft Gap the center 7 ft of the 17 ft Gap we'll need to Bear approximately 17,000 lb spread evenly from the front of the cantilever to the back of the cantilever over 5 ft. I will put support beams across these cantilever arms to support the load evenly
View full post »

Similar threads

Design of Cheap Packaging for Pressure Sensor (Piezoresistive)
Replies
1
Views
1K
Coaxial Rotor UAV Helicopter Hover Performance
Replies
1
Views
2K
Optimizing Energy Harvesting from Power Lines for Autonomous UAVs
Replies
14
Views
6K
Misc. Isolation box to measure light source inside (closer to visible light)
Replies
21
Views
2K
Audio/Video Fluid Dynamics—Building a better MIDI Breath Controller
Replies
35
Views
7K
How to design rupture disc leak detection sensor element?
Replies
7
Views
7K
Proximity Sensor, Design Project
Replies
8
Views
2K
I'm trying to detect PFAS molecules in air samples...
Replies
24
Views
4K
Searching for O2 Sensor (specs in thread)
Replies
1
Views
2K
Designing best theoretical sax/clarinet mouthpiece ligand
Replies
1
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top