Best-in-class image resolution is the result of years of refinement in hardware, software, SOPs, training, oversight and focus on the customer.
High-resolution digital twins created from precisely captured drone data are revolutionizing the way assets are inspected and managed. These high-resolution digital representations offer a detailed and accurate view of physical assets, allowing for thorough inspections without the physical and safety challenges of traditional methods. Optelos leverages advanced drone technology and capture techniques to ensure that these digital twins not only meet but exceed industry standards, providing industry-leading model resolution and insights that enhance maintenance strategies and operational decision-making.
The Importance of High-Resolution Digital Twins
Ease of Viewing and Interpretation
Higher-resolution digital twins significantly increase the ability of analysts to conduct thorough and accurate remote inspections. This clarity is essential in industries where detailed visual inspection plays a critical role in maintenance and safety checks. With high-resolution imagery, stakeholders can zoom in on specific components of an asset without losing image quality, facilitating a more detailed and comprehensive analysis. This increased level of detail supports better decision-making and raises the efficiency of asset management processes overall.
Improved Accuracy in Low-Tolerance Applications
In the context of industrial asset inspections, high-resolution digital twins are crucial, particularly for applications with low fault tolerance such as pipeline inspections or structural integrity assessments in refineries. These settings demand extreme precision, as even minor anomalies can lead to significant operational disruptions or safety hazards. High-resolution models enable engineers to detect and measure defects or deviations from expected conditions accurately, ensuring that maintenance and safety protocols are based on the most precise data available, thus mitigating potential risks effectively.
Accurate Evaluation of Build to Design
High-resolution digital twins play a pivotal role in the accurate evaluation of how closely the construction of an industrial asset adheres to its design blueprints. For complex facilities like power plants or chemical processing units, it’s crucial to ensure that every structural element and system is built exactly to specified designs. High-resolution imagery allows for detailed comparisons between the as-built conditions and the original design plans, enabling engineers to identify discrepancies, ensure compliance with design standards, and make informed decisions about necessary corrections or adjustments.
This digital twin of a chemical facility illustrates how minute details can be captured in pointcloud models, which are self-referencing and can be used for making precise measurements.
Ensuring High-Resolution Models Through Quality Data Capture
A high-quality model starts with the best quality data capture possible, and the Optelos Operations team is organized and operationally focused on delivering the highest possible image quality and fidelity.
Operations Team Background and Training
At Optelos, the caliber of our operations team is pivotal in ensuring the high resolution of our digital twin models. We carefully vet pilots that apply to join our team for both professional experience and mindset. We select pilots with not only deep domain expertise, but also people with an intense focus on customer service, attention to detail, and a desire to improve. Each new pilot undergoes a rigorous induction process, shadowing an experienced Optelos pilot to learn our detailed procedures and high standards of data capture firsthand. In addition, the pilots are briefed on how the images they capture are manipulated and transformed into digital twin models so they can see firsthand the importance of high-quality inputs. Furthermore, our pilots receive regular coaching focused on their output, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and precision in our data collection techniques. This structured training and mentorship ensure our operations team excels in producing top-quality digital twins.
“Our analysts are good at recognizing how image capture can be improved so that the models can be top-quality,” shared Optelos VP of Operations Adam Watts. “One of our analysts was working with a newer pilot on a vertical asset class across multiple locations in the Midwest. The analyst recognized that the pilot had consistently missed a specific area when flying the asset, leading to gaps in the model. The analyst was able to provide feedback to the pilot about the issue so he could correct his process for the entire class of assets. This timely level of communication is what we expect between our operations and analysis teams so that only the highest-quality deliverables make it into the hands of our customers.”
Optelos Qualified drone pilots are trained in optimal aerial data capture techniques, ensuring the highest possible digital twin model resolution.
Consistency in Collection
To ensure the highest resolution in our models, Optelos implements a meticulous data collection process tailored to each asset type. Our pilots follow specific flight plans designed for both horizontal and vertical assets, executing each flight consistently to ensure uniformity in data quality. This rigorous approach includes capturing overlapping images—a critical factor for comprehensive coverage. As detailed by one of our pilots, each image is enriched with metadata such as GPS location, altitude, and camera orientation, which are integral for quality control and optimizing image fitment. These standardizations and continuous improvements in our flight patterns underscore our commitment to precision in data capture.
“Some of our best work is done via manual flights by pilots,” commented Watts. “A lot of other operators don’t do this, and the model quality can suffer as a result. You have to trust your training and experience to obtain the different combinations of images needed. The software-driven automatic flights, in our experience, can’t match the expertise of an experienced human operator.”
Continuous Improvement – Operator/Analyst Alignment
Optelos ensures continuous improvement in digital twin quality through the close alignment between our Operations and Analyst teams. Our operators, who are responsible for flying the assets, receive real-time, detailed feedback from analysts who process the captured data for digital twin creation. This feedback typically occurs while the operator is still on location, allowing for immediate adjustments if necessary. This collaborative approach ensures that analysts have the ideal inputs needed for accurate model creation. The clear lines of communication and joint efforts on every mission underpin our commitment to delivering the highest quality digital twins.
Looking Ahead
At Optelos, our attention to detail and focus on quality are never complete. We continue to refine and improve our procedures with hardware and software upgrades and new procedures to create the most advanced digital twins available. Central to our process is our carefully and consistently trained operations team, focused on delivering the highest quality data capture and model construction results possible. Interested in learning more about how Optelos sets itself apart in drone data collection and model construction? Fill out the “Contact Us” form with how we can help, and someone from our team will follow up with more detailed information.