UAV-Driven Structural Crack Detection and Location Determination Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Structural cracks are a vital feature in evaluating the health of aging structures. Inspectors regularly monitor structures’ health using visual information because early detection of cracks on highly trafficked structures is critical for maintaining the public’s safety. In this work, a framework for detecting cracks along with their locations is proposed. Image data provided by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is stitched using image processing techniques to overcome limitations in the resolution of cameras. This stitched image is analyzed to identify cracks using a deep learning model that makes judgements regarding the presence of cracks in the image. Moreover, cracks’ locations are determined using data from UAV sensors. To validate the system, cracks forming on an actual building are captured by a UAV, and these images are analyzed to detect and locate cracks. The proposed framework is proven as an effective way to detect cracks and to represent the cracks’ locations.