Automated Detection of Atypical Aviation Obstacles from UAV Images Using a YOLO Algorithm

Sensors (Basel). 2022 Sep 1;22(17):6611. doi: 10.3390/s22176611.

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are able to guarantee very high spatial and temporal resolution and up-to-date information in order to ensure safety in the direct vicinity of the airport. The current dynamic growth of investment areas in large agglomerations, especially in the neighbourhood of airports, leads to the emergence of objects that may constitute a threat for air traffic. In order to ensure that the obtained spatial data are accurate, it is necessary to understand the detection of atypical aviation obstacles by means of their identification and classification. Quite often, a common feature of atypical aviation obstacles is their elongated shape and irregular cross-section. These factors pose a challenge for modern object detection techniques when the processes used to determine their height are automated. This paper analyses the possibilities for the automated detection of atypical aviation obstacles based on the YOLO algorithm and presents an analysis of the accuracy of the determination of their height based on data obtained from UAV.

Keywords: UAV; YOLO; aviation obstacle; classification; deep learning; detection; point cloud.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Aviation*
  • Data Collection

Grants and funding

This paper was supported by the Polish Air Force University in the year of 2022.