Monorail bridge inspection using digitally-twinned UAVs

¹ School of Electrical and Data Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo NSW 2007, Australia
² Vietnam Naval Academy, Nha Trang, Vietnam
³ School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW 2751, Australia

^* Email: vanlanh.nguyen@uts.edu.au

Abstract

This paper introduces a comprehensive approach to monorail bridge inspection utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and digital twin technology. The autonomous UAV-based inspection design encompasses UAV dynamics, tracking control, path planning, and task execution. A dedicated digital twin platform is developed to facilitate rigorous testing and verification of UAV control, mitigating the necessity for extensive physical testing. Methodology validation is achieved through a combination of simulations and real-world experiments, affirming its efficacy in authentic scenarios and demonstrating the potential for advancing infrastructure inspection practices.