April 6th, 2011
Air photograph at low altitude of engine 3 and 4 of the nuclear plant of Fukushima (Copyright: Air Photo Services)vice)
March 24th a Japanese small UAV of the Company Air Photo Service with flown over at very low altitude the nuclear plant of Fukushima. The aerial photographsin high-resolution make it possible to observe the least detail of the reactors damaged by the Tsunami. The following day, Friday March 25th , our small company receives a message of the Japanese nuclear authorities :
" URGENT! We seek UAV able to fly over the nuclear station of Fukushima at low altitude to take precise readings of the site. Answer as soon as possible, we wish an intervention in the 72h00 "
A weekend of work starts...
Flight at low altitude of a Pixy UAV to the top of a nuclear plant in France* (Copyright - Aerofilmphoto - Marc Didier)
THE MISSION
To make steal a UAV of a few kilos in a strongly radioactive zone is not improvised. The schedule of conditions is established with the Japanese authorities a few hours after the first making of contact.
1 - To measure the radioactivity, to carry out air photographs and thermal images with high-resolution on the site of the power station of Fukushima. The sensors are provided by the customer and must be recoverable at the end of the mission.
2 - The UAV must be able to move and make these statements in "100 % automatic" if necessary. The control devices must be hardened to be the least vulnerable possible to the effects of radiations. The operating range wished is of 40 kilometers.
3 - Departure of the team and the material in 72 h00. Our team will not approach the site. We will have to train a Japanese crew to control and take the air readings.
THREE SENSORS ON A SMALL UAV
It is Pixy Vision UAV which is selected. This paramotor with thermal propulsion embarks up to 5 kg of material and will raise without difficulty the 3 "hardened" sensors. Its open structure makes it possible to adapt to the last moment the material. Two control stations EVO II and one second Pixy, with the identical characteristics, will be also of the mission.
Pixy Vision UAV equipped with sensors for stereophotography + Control station.
AN AUTOMATIC FLIGHT OF MORE THAN 40 KILOMETERS.
The phase of takeoff of Pixy will be done "manually". Once to position on its flight plan, the autopilot is activate and the UAV move in automatic mode. Beyond 10 kilometers of distance, the UAV is not any more communication with the control station : The mission of teledetection is in total autonomy. A process which with the advantage of eliminating between the UAV and the station, a possible problem of jamming of the frequencies due to radiations.
Pixy Vision with turret 2 axes gyrostabilized - the camera is a Canon 5 D mark II equipped with a Canon objective 400 mm C. Very Hight Precision.
A module of safety in the event of breakdown or damage is envisaged. The veil of Pixy (which is a parapente) this blocks in circular flight and goes down to the ground by describing broad circles. The rate of fall in this configuration is then from 1 to 3 meters a second according to the aerological conditions. The material can be take off without breaking and being recovered. The recorded data are to safeguard on board.
A complementary modem will be given the responsability to return them in real-timeon the ground laptop PC. The crew with thus the possibility of acting on the framing of the catches of sights.
To make you an idea of the quality of the images which one can obtain starting from a Pixy drone, here a video air of a French* nuclear plant.
http://www.aerofilmphoto.com/videoaeriennecentralenucleaire.html (Aerofilmphoto Copyright - Marc Didier)
In normal circumstances, once the mission accomplished, the UAV returns to its starting point. For Fukushima, Pixy must flight at low altitude to make these statements. It will thus be contaminated and will not return at the base at the end of the mission. It is provided that is take-off automatically on special areaz to a few kilometers of the Fukushima plants (according to the protocol of safety describes higher).
A team will be charged to recover the sensors and to decontaminate them. The "radioactive" UAV will be treated like a material of use single...
5 DAYS TO TRAIN A TEAM
The team on the departure is made up of Marc Didier (pilot) and Pascal Rouah (Telemetry and teledetection). For the logistical support, Paul Bardin the technical manager of Pixy UAV will be of obligation 24/24h in our workshops in France. Their mission is triple:
- Setting in operation of the UAV in Japan : It is the work of Marc Didier. The procedure prepared in France will be tested on several occasions before the mission (flight plan, acquisitions of the data, etc). This procedure will be subjected and adapted according to the requirements of the Japonaise authorities.
- To integrate the sensors : It is the work of Pascal Rouah. It must integrate on the frame of Pixy the 3 sensors provided on the spot - Camera - thermal camera - measurement of radiations. It with as for mission as all and the catch control devices of measurements are correctly configured for the mission.
- Training a crew piloting Pixy UAV : The finality of this mission. To train a crew is relatively easy with Pixy. Its piloting in 2 axes remains simple and is acquired into 2 to 3 days. The catch in hand of the control station EVO II and its system of assistance to piloting asks for a few hours of training. Our Japanese crew will be able to deploy and operate the Pixy UAV in 5 days.
Source: Vision du Ciel - Philae Concept - Heli-Vues - aerofilmphoto.com - Air Photo Service
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