1. Development of Unmanned Vehicles (UMV’s)
for Geo-Environmental Hazard Assessment
Presented By
Max William Perlow – Pennoni Associates 1
Mperlow@pennoni.com
Joshua Wagner - Digioia Gray Associates 1
Jwagner@digioiagray.com
(1) University of Pittsburgh Geology Department Undergraduates
And Interns at EKMLLC Engineering Knowledge Management LLC
AEG Annual Meeting – Pittsburgh PA – September 21-25, 2015
2. GeoBot-GeoCopter Development
2014-2015 Intern Project
2014 Interns: Max Perlow & Joshua Wagner, Undergraduates in the Geology
Department, University of Pittsburgh
Objective: develop specifications for the next generation GeoBot UGV and
companion GeoCopter UAV
Application: Geohazard Hazard Assessment, Mitigation, Emergency
Response, and Failure Investigations.
The success of deploying low technology off-the-shelf
sensors with a radio controlled truck led to the following
undergraduate intern project to develop an interchangeable
suite of sensors that could be mounted on various unmanned
ground and aerial vehicle (UGV & UAV) platforms.
3. Geo-Environmental Hazard Assessment
Requirements
A. EVALUATION OF SITE HISTORY & PAST ACTIVITY
B. EVALUATION OF ACTIVE ON-GOING FAILURES
C. HAZARD ANALYSIS AND MITIGATION
D. EARLY WARNING MONITORING
E. EVALUATION OF MANS ACTIVITIES
F. IMPACT OF EXTREME WEATHER
4. GeoBot Prototype Development
A simple unmanned vehicle (UMV) prototype named GeoBot
was developed to aid the assessment and mitigation of
sinkhole collapse and subsidence failures in 2013- 2014.
5. Geo-Bot Next Generation
Interchangeable Sensor
Universal Mount System
Like the NASA Mars
Rovers that can be
Deployed on a variety of
Un-Manned Ground &
Sea Vehicles such as the
Clearpath Robotics RUV,
UGV’s and USV
http://www.clearpathrobotics.com/robots/
9. Evolution
• 1909
• Wilbur Wright
• und seine Flugmaschine First-
ever use of motion picture
aerial photography as filmed
from a heavier-than-air aircraft
12. Geo-Copter Prototype
• Developed Autumn 2014
• Low-cost, off the shelf, multi-sensor platform
capable UAV
• Intended uses
• Assessment of geologic hazards
• Monitoring of previous failures
• Emergency response assessment of ongoing
failures
• Near Surface Geophysical Surveys
• Geologic/Geomorphic mapping
• Photogrammetry
• Benefits over traditional methods
• High temporal and spatial resolution
• Low cost
• Access to hard to reach and/or hazardous areas
13. Geo-Copter Prototype; Photogrammetry
• Science of making measurements
from photographs
• Cost effective remote mean of
mapping
• Allows/provides access to sites
otherwise difficult to impossible
to investigate conventionally
• Digital Terrain Model generation
• Data used for geotechnical
stability and volumetric
analysis
• Reduction in time required
• Google Earth 3D http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/maidment/grad/tate/study/remote/TermProj.html
15. Geo-Copter Next Generation
Interchangeable Sensor Mount
System that can be Deployed from
Commercially Available UAV’s.
Use of Geo-Copters to Drop Off &
Retrieve Remote Sensor Packs
16. GeoBot Case Studies
Storm Line Sinkhole
Bethlehem, PA - 2013
• Sinkhole Cavity
Evaluation
• Storm Line Condition
• Monitoring Storm Line
during Low Mobility
Grouting - Grout
Migration into Pipe, Pipe
Invert Elevation and
Horizontal Alignment
Storm Arch Collapse
Fountain Hill PA - 2014
• Sinkhole Cavity
Evaluation
• Roof Drain Piping
Inspection
• Arch Condition and
Dimensions
• Monitoring of Flow Fill
Placement
21. Unmanned Aerial Systems Case Studies
UAV-based remote sensing of the
Super-Sauze landslide: Evaluation
and results
• Digital compact camera on mini quad-
rotor UAV
• Southern French Alps
• High-resolution ortho-mosaic of entire
landslide and DTMs of several regions
• Horizontal displacements of 7-55 m
between a high-res ortho-photo of May
2007 and a UAV-based ortho-mosaic of
October 2008
• Conclusions: “…radio controlled low-cost
UAVs can deliver high-resolution remote
sensing data on landslides”
Use of UAVs for photogrammetric
surveys in rockfall instability
studies
• UAV photogrammetry based on the use
of a drone helicopter
• Two rock slopes subject to frequent
rockfalls (Italy)
• Stereographic projections comparing data
from UAV-DTP and geological-engineering
surveys show good general
correspondence
• Conclusions: “Use of UAV is a good
terrestrial photogrammetric procedure to
reduce operating costs and speed up
acquisition phases…powerful tool for rock
slope stability analysis, discontinuity and
slope geometry…”
22. Unmanned Aerial Systems Case Studies
Application of Thermography to
Karst Hydrogeology and Natural
Gas Exploration and Development
• Use thermal imaging applied to
Oklahoma carbonate and shale outcrops
to detect heat signatures from karst
features and fractures
• Infrared thermograms of cavities and
fractures correlated with known features
on outcrop
• “This technique holds a promising
application for aerial detection of new
caves and fracture charazterization for
hydrocarbon exploration”
Aerial infrared thermography in the
surface waters contamination
monitoring
• Contamination monitoring by IR
thermography based on
• Rendering of the IR raw data that produce
images with a visible augmentation of
anomolies
• Illegal sanitary sewer and storm-drain
connections, illicit discharges and other
anomalies
• Plume of (contaminated) kiquid joining
and flowing…visible in thermal IR
spectrum due to difference in
temperatures of two liquids
• Aerial platform
• Multi-Spectral data?
