Data Collection Inside Industrial Facilities with Autonomous Drones

Abstract

Advancements in drone and image processing technologies opened a new era for data collection. Comprehension by visual sensors is an emerging area which created a completely new view point to many sectors including the production industry. New dimensions are added to abilities of visual human sensors with these technologies. Image processing provide fast, reliable, and integrated information that the industrial facilities require for improving efficiency. On top of this, drones can extend these properties by providing multi-dimensional and continuous view. In this chapter, we propose a new approach for data collection in industrial facilities. Our approach utilises autonomous drones that can fly over the production lines, collect indoor aerial image and video, processes the visual data, and converts it to useful managerial information. Although developing such a system for different manufacturing domains is a challenge, especially Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) can utilise this approach to help achieve Industry 4.0 goals in their manufacturing facilities.