The Visual Inspection Methodology for Ceiling Utilizing the Blimp

This paper proposes a visual inspection methodology for the ceiling element of a gymnasium utilizing a blimp robot with a Wi-Fi camera. In the proposed methodology, the blimp robot with the Wi-Fi camera inspects the damage location and captures the photographic image of the damage condition. The inspection blimp robots will be able to estimate the damage condition without any process of engineers' on-site-inspection involved. To demonstrate the capabilities of such blimp robots, the visual inspections for the ceiling of a gymnasium and the actual bridge deck has been conducted. The results of the application to real structures indicate that the Wi-Fi camera on the blimp robot can estimate the damages from the captured image, and the proposed methodology will provide valuable information for the repair and maintenance decision making of damaged elements located on high attitude.