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Nome del progetto:

Geomagnetic drone-surveying of ferrous contaminated soils

Stato: Idea
Data di creazione: 20-12-2022

Obbiettivi del progetto:

Short summary A German start-up has developed a geomagnetic drone-surveying technology allowing for quick and precise exploration of surfaces and sub-surfaces. Ferrous materials, such as pipelines, explosive ordnance, powerlines or relics in the underground, can be detected in impassable terrains by overflight without causing any destruction. Commercial agreements with technical assistance are sought, especially in the areas of underground construction, infrastructures and the oil & gas industry.

Full description Residues containing iron in the soil are problematic in several respects. Bombs or explosive ordnance have to be identified before the start of civil engineering measures in order not to endanger the construction project or human personnel. The position of underground pipelines or electric power lines must be known in order to ensure planning reliability for construction projects and to avoid damage during construction work. The same applies to other metallic interfering bodies or archaeological structures within the scope of a site investigation. Conventional detection methods are ground-based and involve walking or driving with measuring equipment. There are risks for personnel involved due to hidden explosive ordnance and challenges due to impassable terrain. Areas have to be prepared, and sometimes vegetation has to be cleared, which is time and cost-intensive. Furthermore, many steps in the surveying are done manually, which make them prone to human errors and can lead to gaps in geo-data sets. The German start-up, founded in 2019 as a spin-off from a university institute for geophysics, has replaced ground-based methods by geomagnetic, airborne exploration technologies, combining autonomous data acquisition and automated data processing. The company uses drone photogrammetry and is specialised in the use of geophysical sensors to create precise soil profiles. The drone flies autonomously and from a safe distance over a previously planned survey area and measures the earth’s magnetic field with a magnetometer attached on it. The drones were specially developed to track ferrous contaminated sites in soil, such as weapons or explosive ordnance (unexploded ordnance down to a depth of 5 m, ammunition remnants from caliber 7.5 cm), pipelines or electrical power lines and historic relics. The precise and efficient geomagnetic airborne method is superior to conventional technology not only in impassable terrain, but it also works ten times faster and without gaps, because the areas to be examined are flown over systematically. Advantages exist especially when surveying hard-to-reach surfaces and big areas. No preparation of the area is necessary, the exploration takes place without any destruction of the ground. Data sets are turned into digital reports that can be adapted interactively as required. The clear presentation via an app allows all project participants to examine the data at any time and from any location. Many different data can be collected with just one flight, so that a holistic overview is quickly available. Conventional methods would necessitate the collection of the different data sets in several different steps. The solution combines hardware, industry-specific service software with AI integration and consultancy. The main areas of application for the technology are • civil engineering and underground construction (preliminary inspection of construction sites and documentation) • the oil and gas industry (surveying of pipelines, preliminary route investigation) • the infrastructure industry (condition monitoring and surveying, e.g. of railway facilities or motorway infrastructures) The German Start-up seeks private or public partners from the aforementioned industries or related service providers in order to integrate the technology in surveying activities in the framework of commercial agreements with technical assistance.

Advantages and innovations • Time saving: Large and inaccessible areas can be surveyed 10x faster through automated processes • Cost saving: 50% less expensive compared to conventional methods, no preparatory work on the surface required • Safety: Data acquisition is carried out from a safe distance without danger to personnel (e.g. in case of explosive residues in the soil) • No destruction (e.g. of underground pipelines or tilled agricultural land) • Precision: Automated data evaluation through software with AI integration • Easy-to-use data assessment: Digital reports and clear presentation via app enable all project participants to assess the data regardless of time and location.
Contact / source: NEXT EEN Widgets (europa.eu)

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