Drones-as-a-Service for Efficient Critical National Infrastructure Operations: Reducing the Time from Image Capture to Insight Generation

This paper describes the work of the InDePTH project which is focused on the use of autonomous drones to deliver efficient critical infrastructure operations for ports and highways, increasing safety and efficiency and minimizing the economic impact of interventions. InDePTH is utilizing autonomous drones to deliver regular surveying of infrastructure estates, to obtain detailed insight into these dynamic environments. The project is integrating next-generation sensing, data and image processing facilities and autonomous drones, currently commercialized as drone-in-a-box (DIAB). The paper describes the challenges facing ports and highways operators, the novel aspects of the InDePTH approach that can be applied to these challenges and the results from our deployments and trials in live environments.