Aibotix, a German developer and manufacturer of multicopters for applications in the industrial sector, has teamed up with several companies to inspect what it says is the largest mosque in Turkey.
Along with SISTEM A.S. (a Turkish distributor of Leica Geosystems) and NRG Engineering (a project management service provider), Aibotix created a detailed 3D model of the Sabanci Merkez Mosque in Adana.
The mosque has four structures reaching 99 meters in height, and the largest of its five domes is 32 meters in diameter and 54 meters high. Therefore, due to its vast size, inspecting the building using conventional methods is time-consuming and costly, Aibotix explains.
‘We needed only three flights to cover all relevant areas and generate comprehensive data,’ explains SISTEM A.S. employee Bora Yavuz. “Compared to laser scanning, collecting the data from the top sections of this huge building by [unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)] was extremely easy, since nobody had to climb up to the minarets or dangerous places on the domes and wait for the machine to scan. Furthermore, alongside the data registration, the generation of point clouds runs automatically.”
During the flight over the roof of the mosque, the UAV followed a defined route the companies pre-planned on the computer. The pilot then manually steered the UAV – an Aibot X6 carrying a Nikon Coolpix – in two more flights around the building.
Using live images that were sent directly to the screen of a ground station, the pilot could make sure that all relevant areas were captured and adjust the camera to the optimum angle during the flight.
The data was subsequently processed to create an accurate 3D model of the mosque with a precision down to 1 to 2 centimeters. The high-resolution photos are linked to the model so that damage can be located accurately.
The images and the model will now be used as basis for maintenance and repairs, says Aibotix.
Photo courtesy of Aibotix
