Ontic for autonomous drone flight guided by a digital construction model

Abstract

The present work aims to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a sustainable knowledge modeling process for building inspections. The following elements are integrated: knowledge bases for the Semantic Web; information contained in digital building models; the plotting of routes for autonomous drone flights, guided by spatial data from the model; and extensible ontologies that accumulate factual knowledge. Each autonomous flight route is plotted based on spatial data extracted from the digital model of the headquarters of an educational building, which contains semantic definitions of the building maintenance process. The routes are structured into WayPoints enriched with data from various semantics and saved in files compatible with georeferencing systems. The process proposes the creation of a factual knowledge base grounded in ontologies within the open and linked data paradigm. Initiatives such as the B‑IRO model (Building‑Input Relationship Output) are highlighted. The text presents a reflection on two intrinsic challenges of the proposal: the definition of ontologies and the need to build a network infrastructure with Semantic Web functionalities within the open and linked data paradigm. Both factors are necessary to sustain the process over time.