UAV-based System for Monitoring and Tracking of Oil and Gas Infrastructure

自动平台，如无人机(UAV)，预计到2025年将增长到800亿美元的市场。我们的目标是利用我们在无线传感器网络、特别通信和网络、多传感器融合和定位/导航方面的先前工作，在对加拿大石油和采矿业具有战略重要性的两个新应用中创建创新的无人机系统。在这项提案中，我们在以下方面开发了创新的无人机网络：i)油砂和其他采矿，用于检测机械部件的破损并准确定位分离的金属部件；以及，ii)石油和天然气管道，用于监测结构健康并检测和定位管道损坏。 我们的研究将为研究生提供无人机协同操作、多传感器融合、地理参考和无人机处理板上嵌入式系统实现的先进设计、性能评估和实现方面的宝贵实践经验。此外，基于无人机的石油和天然气基础设施监测和跟踪系统将使我们的学员能够直接与我们的行业合作伙伴合作，为他们的专业技能做出贡献。加拿大的石油、天然气、采矿和信息和通信技术部门将有机会获得高技能的毕业生，并获得多传感器跟踪和结构监测技术方面的领先研究。至少有10名研究生将在申请者的监督下接受无人机网络培训。 这些技能在加拿大和世界各地都有很高的需求。我们的毕业生将为下一代网络架构师和用户提供独特和及时的技能，我们的研究将把加拿大的专业知识扩展到石油和采矿行业日益增长的需求的新应用。

Autonomous platforms, like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), are expected to grow to a $80 billion market by 2025. Our goal is to leverage our prior work in wireless sensor networks, ad-hoc communications and networks, multi-sensor fusion and positioning/navigation to create an innovative UAV system in two new applications of strategic importance to oil and mining industries in Canada. In this proposal, we develop innovative UAV networks in: i) oil sands and other mining for detection of breakage of machinery parts and accurate localization of the detached metal parts; and, ii) oil and gas pipelines for monitoring structural health and for the detection and localization of damage to the pipeline. Our research will provide valuable hands-on experience in state-of-the-art design, performance evaluation and implementation of UAV cooperative operation, multi-sensor fusion, geo-referencing and embedded system realization on UAV processing boards for graduate students. In addition, the UAV-based System for Monitoring and Tracking of Oil and Gas Infrastructure will enable our trainees to directly work with our industry partners, contributing to their professional skills. Canadian oil, gas, mining and ICT sectors will have access to highly skilled graduates and to leading research on multi-sensor tracking and structural monitoring technologies. At least 10 graduate students will be trained on UAV networks, supervised by the applicants. These skills are in high demand in Canada and around the world. Our graduates will offer unique and timely skills to next-generation network architects and users and our research will extend Canadian expertise to new applications of growing demand in the oil and mining sectors.