Abstract

This paper presents a novel integrated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) system for structural health monitoring (SHM). In the aftermath of a disaster, efficient and accurate data collection and processing is crucial for assessing the structural integrity of buildings. However, current limitations in SHM systems include a lack of autonomy, leading to manual remote operations that are labor-intensive and time-consuming. To address that, the proposed system utilizes a wireless robot operating system (ROS) network to coordinate navigation and data collection of the UAV and UGV. Additionally, improved simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm is employed to generate a 2D map of the environment. High-resolution data collected by the UAV is used for 3D reconstruction at the scene and component level, making it suitable for post-earthquake assessments. The effectiveness of the proposed system was validated through experiments using a custom-built ground robot and a micro aerial vehicle for indoor inspections. Results from both qualitative and quantitative analyses demonstrate the potential for this system to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of post-earthquake SHM and remote sensing through the use of cost-effective and portable robots.