Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Operational Monitoring of Landfills

Abstract

This study justifies the prospect of using aerial imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for technological monitoring and operational control of municipal solid waste landfills. It presents the results of surveys (aerial imagery) of a number of Russian landfills, which were carried out using low-cost drones equipped with standard RGB cameras. In the processing of aerial photographs, both photogrammetric data processing algorithms (for constructing orthophotoplans of objects and 3D modeling) and procedures for thematic interpretation of photo images were used. Thematic interpretation was carried out based on lists of requirements for the operating landfills (the lists were compiled on the basis of current legislative acts). Thus, this article proposes framework guidelines for the complex technological monitoring of landfills using relatively simple means of remote control. It shows that compliance with most of the basic requirements for landfill operations, which are listed in both Russian and foreign regulation, can be controlled by unmanned aerial imagery. Thus, all of the main technological operations involving waste at landfills (placement, compaction, intermediate isolation) are able to be controlled remotely; as well as compliance with most of the design and planning requirements associated with the presence and serviceability of certain engineering systems and structures (collection systems for leachate and surface wastewater, etc.); and the state of the landfill body. Cases where the compliance with operating standards cannot be monitored remotely are also considered. It discusses the advantages of air imagery in comparison with space imagery (detail of images, operational efficiency), as well as in comparison with ground inspections (speed, personnel safety). It is shown that in many cases, interpreting the obtained aerial photographs for technological monitoring tasks does not require special image processing and can be performed visually. Based on the analysis of the available world experience, as well as the results of the study, it was concluded that unmanned aerial imagery has great potential for solving problems of waste landfill management.

Toward Integrated Large-Scale Environmental Monitoring Using WSN/UAV/Crowdsensing: A Review of Applications, Signal Processing, and Future Perspectives

“…The undisputed widespread use of such technologies across a wide range of soil monitoring tasks is strictly correlated with the progresses in the miniaturization and portability of RGB cameras and multispectral/hyperspectral imaging technologies, which allow to bridge the gaps with conventional satellite or airborne remote sensing platforms while providing a cost-effective way to obtain data at high spatial and temporal resolution [156,157]. By inspecting target areas at a very fine scale, UAV platforms are foreseen as potential tools to detect and counteract the illegal dumping of solid/liquid waste in the environment [158,159], for actively monitoring the operations in existing landfills [160], and for general prevention of soil contamination [161]. Preventing the diffusion of unauthorized constructions or their illegal demolition is another important application field for UAV-based monitoring systems [162].…”

Anonymous Mutual and Batch Authentication with Location Privacy of UAV in FANET

“…In addition, the drone's cameras and microphones transmit real-time video to the service provider or user via a wireless medium. By controlling a drone, a service provider/user can obtain real-time information from a remote location [3]. A drone's data collection poses new security and privacy risks as technology advances.…”

The Impact of Nonlinear Mobility Models on Straight Line Conflict Detection Algorithm for UAVs

“…Researchers investigate the multi-UAV systems to employ them in civil and military applications with minimum human involvement. Drones can be used for remote visual inspection [1,2], packages delivery [3], and search and rescue [4] applications, to name a few. It is possible to utilize multiple UAVs to form flying swarms that can be used to create a self-organizing flying ad hoc network (FANET) without the need for a centralized administration or network infrastructure [5].…”