GeoFly

Regular inspection of surface-level defects on structures like rotor blades of wind turbines is essential to ensure optimal and reliable operation. Manual inspection requires significant effort, as the measuring instrument must be brought close to the surface being inspected. The current automated inspection methods involve detection from the ground, resulting in large measuring distances (>100 m)  and subsequently larger measurement uncertainities.   

This research project seeks to address this problem by implementing a drone-based laser measurement system that operates on the principle of laser triangulation. The system will study the surface area of the object under inspection, which enables the detection of local surface defects (< 1 mm). Specifically, the project aims to determine the achievable measurement uncertainty for such a drone-based system from a distance > 2 m (Safety margin). Furthermore, a digital twin of the measuring system is developed to predict the measurement capabilities of a scaled system.