Rapid Resistography with Passive Overhead-perching Mechanism in an Unmanned Aerial System for Wood Structure Inspection

This paper presents an aerial robotic platform for rapid remote elevated overhead-perching drill operations for wood health inspection. The platform features an innovative passive prismatic-gripper mechanism affixed to the aerial robot’s top, facilitating overhead drilling. The primary aim is to enhance the safety and efficiency of elevated wood structure inspection using the resistography method, which involves drilling into wooden structures to identify internal voids. The research centers on two key enabling technologies: a gripper mechanism for secure attachment to target surfaces and a tethered drill configuration for drilling operations. The novel gripper mechanism enables drilling on large planar surfaces and even small beam-width structures. The paper concludes with discussions on design simulations and drill resistance experiments, highlighting the effectiveness of the proposed approach in detecting internal cavities within wooden structures.