A Distributed Intelligence Approach to Using Collaborating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Oil Spill Mapping

Author(s):  
Philip Odonkor ◽  
Zachary Ball ◽  
Souma Chowdhury

From swarming locusts to schools of fish, the complex emergent behaviors exhibited by multi-agent swarm systems in nature present a compelling basis for their application towards real-world challenges. This paper capitalizes on this potential by proposing a swarm-intelligence inspired approach towards mapping complex offshore oil spills — one that uses a collaborating team of small (inexpensive) unmanned aerial vehicles. By leveraging the idea of occupancy grids, a new probability map concept is developed to enable agent-level situational awareness, while significantly reducing computing overheads (image data to intelligence generation in <1 sec) and communication overheads (< 1.7 KB of average data sharing across the swarm agents). The probability map is further exploited for waypoint planning using the principles of swarm dynamics and a rule-based reasoning approach to allow for dynamic preference shifts towards map exploitation and exploration. Detection of oil is performed by using a generalizable concept of anomaly detection that is derived from a color-based segmentation approach. Two simulated case studies, derived from actual oil spill images, are presented with results highlighting the strengths of the proposed approach.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6585
Author(s):  
Mihhail Fetissov ◽  
Robert Aps ◽  
Floris Goerlandt ◽  
Holger Jänes ◽  
Jonne Kotta ◽  
...  

The Baltic Sea is a unique and sensitive brackish-water ecosystem vulnerable to damage from shipping activities. Despite high levels of maritime safety in the area, there is a continued risk of oil spills and associated harmful environmental impacts. Achieving common situational awareness between oil spill response decision makers and other actors, such as merchant vessel and Vessel Traffic Service center operators, is an important step to minimizing detrimental effects. This paper presents the Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW), a web-based application to aid decision making concerning oil spill response. This tool aims to provide, dynamically and interactively, relevant information on oil spills. By integrating the analysis and visualization of dynamic spill features with the sensitivity of environmental elements and value of human uses, the benefits of potential response actions can be compared, helping to develop an appropriate response strategy. The oil spill process simulation enables the response authorities to judge better the complexity and dynamic behavior of the systems and processes behind the potential environmental impact assessment and thereby better control the oil combat action.


Author(s):  
ADAM MŁYNARCZYK ◽  
SŁAWOMIR KRÓLEWICZ ◽  
PAWEŁ RUTKOWSKI

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles is becoming more and more popular for making high-altitude and orthophotomap models. In this process, series of images are taken at specific intervals, usually lasting several seconds. This article demonstrates the ability to make models and orthophotomaps from dynamic images – video recorded from UAV. The best mutual coverage of photographs was indicated (95–96%) and the photogrammetric process for joining images was presented, through the creation of a point cloud to obtain a digital terrain model and the orotfotomap. The data was processed in 150 different variants and the usefulness of this method was demonstrated. Problems and errors that may occur during the processing of recorded image data are also described.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Brooke ◽  
Ben Clutterbuck

There is a long history of the use of aerial imagery for archaeological research, but the application of multisensor image data has only recently been facilitated by the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Two archaeological sites in the East Midlands U.K. that differ in age and topography were selected for survey using multisensor imaging from a fixed-wing UAV. The aim of this study was to determine optimum methodology for the use of UAVs in examining archaeological sites that have no obvious surface features and examine issues of ground control target design, thermal effects, image processing and advanced filtration. The information derived from the range of sensors used in this study enabled interpretation of buried archaeology at both sites. For any archaeological survey using UAVs, the acquisition of visible colour (RGB), multispectral, and thermal imagery as a minimum are advised, as no single technique is sufficient to attempt to reveal the maximum amount of potential information.


Author(s):  
Anastasia D. Anikaeva ◽  
◽  
Dmitry A. Martyushev ◽  

The relevance of the study is explained by the need to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to serve engineering and geodetic tasks in the oil and gas industry. Airborne photographic survey using unmanned aerial vehicles is currently an advanced technology in the area of geodesy and it replaces such methods as tacheometry, satellite-based positioning in RTK modes, manned aerial photography, and aiborne laser scanning (ALS). The potential for using UAVs in the oil and gas industry today is truly enormous. Numerous safety and reliability problems, which traditionally have been cost consuming for oil and gas companies, can be effectively addressed using UAVs. The study included processing of data obtained from the unmanned complex in three modern software packages (Agisoft Photoscan Professional, v 1.2.5.2594 (Russia), ERDAS IMAGINE, v 2015 (USA) and Pix4Dmapper Pro (Switzerland)) of various automation degrees; assessment of accuracy in ArcMap software by superimposing a topographic plan on an orthomosaic with a scale of 1: 500 on the territory under consideration; calculation of economic and labor costs. As part of the study, it was proved that the use of UAVs was possible not only for the geodetic work, but also for solving other equally important tasks of the oil and gas industry, which leads to a decrease in economic and environmental risks, automation of processes related to monitoring of oil facilities, prevention of illegal attempts of pipeline tie-ins, oil spills. In addition, based on the obtained orthophotomaps, the economic, accuracy and labor-time feasibility of using unmanned systems were confirmed. It has been established that the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in various fields of oil and gas activities for solving engineering and geodetic problems is an integral part of any company engaged in the production and transportation of hydrocarbons.


Resources ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Victor Pavlov ◽  
Victor Cesar Martins de Aguiar ◽  
Lars Robert Hole ◽  
Eva Pongrácz

Increasing exploration and exploitation activity in the Arctic Ocean has intensified maritime traffic in the Barents Sea. Due to the sparse population and insufficient oil spill response infrastructure on the extensive Barents Sea shoreline, it is necessary to address the possibility of offshore accidents and study hazards to the local environment and its resources. Simulations of surface oil spills were conducted in south-east of the Barents Sea to identify oil pollution trajectories. The objective of this research was to focus on one geographical location, which lies along popular maritime routes and also borders with sensitive ecological marine and terrestrial areas. As a sample of traditional heavy bunker oil, IFO-180LS (2014) was selected for the study of oil spills and used for the 30-year simulations. The second oil case was medium oil type: Volve (2006)—to give a broader picture for oil spill accident scenarios. Simulations for four annual seasons were run with the open source OpenDrift modelling tool using oceanographic and atmospheric data from the period of 1988–2018. The modelling produced a 30-year probability map, which was overlapped with environmental data of the area to discuss likely impacts to local marine ecosystems, applicable oil spill response tools and favourable shipping seasons. Based on available data regarding the environmental and socio-economic baselines of the studied region, we recommend to address potential threats to marine resources and local communities in more detail in a separate study.


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