Automating visual inspection of solar photovoltaics using drones

Contact: Professor Richard Wilson

The push towards renewable energy has led to a huge increase in solar farms, both in the UK and all over the world. These farms need regular maintenance to identify failed solar cells and connectors, which reduce efficiency. This project is a collaboration with Drones on Demand who use drones mounted with infrared cameras to quickly survey the solar farms without the need to walk round on foot. Computer vision techniques are used to identify and locate the solar panels in the farm, and to automatically locate and identify faults in the cells and connectors.