) Only alerting operators when an event of interest has
taken place. For example, learning which incidents are unusual activity and warrant a response and further investigation. A key issue to address with monitoring technology is nuisance alarms. For example, if spill detection technology is too sensitive, it can raise many false positives and operators stop paying attention to these. ML is critical to reducing these. The algorithms in DAS are smart enough to ignore activities that are of no concern, therefore reducing false alarms. With smart sensors that incorporate ML, an operator can know in real-time what happened, exactly where and when it happened and have confidence in their system.
Figure 3. DAS can automatically notify a UAV flight management system to a threat.
Integrating smart sensors and automatic responses ML plays a large part in advancing monitoring, but what if the alert could automatically feed into a dedicated response? That is the next step towards achieving true digitalisation, where digital technologies talk to each other to create efficiencies for operators. DAS technology can alert a pipeline operator of a threat within a few seconds, but the challenge is how personnel respond to the alarm. Pipelines cover long distances, often in remote and inhospitable terrain. They might pass through desert, forest or icy tundra, where response by road or by foot is not easy and
may take several hours or more. Response by helicopter might be the fastest and most direct route to the location of a detected incident, but this is a costly option and not suitable for pipelines where a tree canopy would make landing impossible. In this case, UAVs provide an attractive alternative to launch a fast response, to fly a direct route from base to the threat location. They can easily be used to capture visual and thermal images of activity and if there are theft attempts, let the criminals know that they have been detected.
Acc u r at e • To u g h • r e l i a b l e THE LEADING BRAND OF HOLIDAY DETECTION EQUIPMENT SINCE 1953
SPYINSPECT.COM
•
(713) 681-5837
•
