Sherlock

Sherlock has been developed to undertake thermal imaging of solar farms. The Sherlock system is built around an X8 multicopter with integrated thermal IR and visual range cameras.  The IR camera captures thermal images of solar equipment from which faults can be detected and the visual range camera provides additional diagnostic information. Also on board are a GPS receiver, a wifi link and a calibrated solar radiation sensor. The system is wholly integrated and controlled by the embedded Jetson TK1 processor.

X8 Multicopter

The X8 is a powerful and versatile solution for autonomous flight applications with full redundancy and includes an advanced PixHawk autopilot system.

Cameras

Sherlock uses the Optris PI 640 IR camera for thermal image capture and the IDS UI-3590LE for simultaneous visual range image capture.

Optris PI640

The high definition PI 640 is the smallest top of the range IR camera in the world producing razor sharp infrared thermal images and video. It auto-calibrates every 5 seconds to produce accurate images with consistent absolute temperatures.

Also onboard

Sherlock also features a calibrated solar radiation sensor for simultaneous recording of irradiance. If irradiance drops below a pre defined threshold during the survey Sherlock maintains current position until irradiance levels return to an acceptable level for thermal image capture. The wifi link sends real time images to the Cleandrone Ground Control System (GCS) so the operator can ensure perfect image capture throughout the survey. Sherlock’s systems are all integrated and controlled by the on board NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor. The Tegra X1 delivers high performance and power efficiency and is designed to extract maximum performance in power-limited environments.