FPGA-Based Design for Real-Time Crack Detection Based on Particle Filter

Due to the related hazards, costly down-time, and detection inconsistencies associated with manual visual inspection for cracks in structures, there has been an emergence of real-time systems capable of conducting inspections. Advanced robotic systems have been used for scanning structures located in remote areas or that pose significant hazards to personnel. However, due to their inherent resource limitations, the current solution is to transfer all applicable sensor data to a ground station where detection will occur at a later time, thereby preventing real-time decision based on the results. To allow on-board decision making, in this article, a crack detection particle filter is optimized for parallel computation and implemented onto an Field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This article shows that an FPGA holds distinct tradeoffs between computational speed, energy consumption, and physical footprint compared to that of traditional CPU designs, allowing for it to be an ideal system for autonomous applications.