UAVs that fly forever: Uninterrupted structural inspection through automatic UAV replacement

The field of structural inspection acquired a new boost with the development of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). However, the flight time of a UAV is still short compared to the time needed to perform a complete structural inspection, and therefore the reliability of a single UAV is under question. This paper presents an algorithm that allows an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to provide continuous uninterrupted structural inspection service. MAVLink protocol is extended with a set of messages and commands that allow the implementation of the proposed algorithm. The proof-of-concept simulation and implementation on UAVs show that the algorithm is suitable for the use in multi-UAV waypoint mission dedicated to structural inspection. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.