Thermographic inspections are complex and delicate activities. They used to be expensive and, in some respects, dangerous, until drones brought a real revolution to this sector too. But what does the practice of thermographic inspections with the aid of drones actually involve? How are drones designed specifically for this type of activity built? Let's find out together.

Thermographic Inspections: how they used to be

Until a few years ago, when drone technology was not yet an integral part of technological innovation in the most diverse fields, thermographic inspections were also among those activities that were costly in terms of money, time and workforce.

To inspect in a non-invasive and non-destructive way the condition of a building, solar panels, piping and electrical systems, the state of old industrial sheds to be reclaimed, etc., cranes, lifting platforms (with significantly higher levels of danger for the operator), poles and ground-based IR camera inspections were used, operated by dedicated personnel.

For many of this equipment, especially for historic buildings in urban centres but not only, it is necessary to request and obtain (and pay for) authorization to occupy public land.

All of this required:

workers to operate the heavy equipment;
ground operators;
technicians (surveyors and engineers) to define the route and the layout to be analysed;
coordinating multiple companies and workforces from different fields;
permits and authorisations.

We use the past tense, but in fact many companies still carry out thermographic inspections in this somewhat archaic way; the paradox is that a technology as sophisticated as IR is a poor match for the outdated support equipment.

How do drones change thermographic inspection?

We already explained this in detail in this article, but to sum up, drones, and in particular those designed for technical activities such as mapping and thermal inspections:

reduce times (with good planning, everything can be done in a single morning, compared with projects lasting weeks using traditional techniques);
reduce the workforce required, allowing a minimum of two and a maximum of 4 people (UAS operators and surveyors) to do the work that used to be entrusted to entire teams;
with all the necessary insurance and guarantees, already required by law of recognised UAS operators (only recognised operators with a certified drone can carry out this type of work).

How are thermographic inspections carried out with the help of drones?

Suppose you need to inspect an old abandoned building to be renovated. Before quoting and planning the works, you need to understand the condition of the ground, the condition of the load-bearing walls, where and whether there are critical areas, and possibly diagnose subsidence and problems in the renovation.

Well, with a drone it is possible to:

plan the flight area and program it through the drone's settings
fly over the building but also add a route inside it, leaving the drone to collect data with its camera inside the building too, without an operator having to film on the ground;
the thermal camera on the drone sends the photos and data to a dedicated program (such as Pix4D, Photoscan, etc.) which converts the photos taken with the drone into point clouds
In a subsequent processing step, these point clouds become data that create orthophotos, digital terrain models and much more, depending on individual needs.

It is an activity that, in just a few steps, greatly revolutionises the world of inspections, so much so that surveyors, engineers and various technicians in the construction sector choose to take courses with ENAC-recognised bodies to become certified UAS operators and learn to carry out inspections with drones (if you are interested, ask us for more at info@aerialclick.com )

How do drones for thermographic inspections differ from other drones?

It is not just a matter of an infrared camera; the differences are much more complex and concern the engineering and design of the machine itself: unlike other drones, designed for other and different professional purposes, drones for thermographic inspection stand out

for their higher performance
for their longer flight time and battery life
they must have special cameras installed (Flir cameras, infrared cameras and HD cameras with up to 30x zoom)
the ability to fly at higher altitudes

The propellers and frames must also be different and lightened.

In this figure we illustrate, using our Phantom 2, some features of the best drones for thermographic inspections.

This is certainly one of those sectors undergoing a sudden and epoch-making change that will transform the speed, quality and safety of this type of work, creating new professions or increasing the capabilities and potential of existing ones.

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