Advances, challenges, and future directions of UAV/drone-based active non-destructive testing

This paper reviews the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based active non-destructive testing (NDT) and evaluation, covering its current state, key technologies, applications, and future trends. The advancement of UAVs has created new opportunities for NDT, improving efficiency and safety across various industries. After outlining the significance of NDT techniques, the paper analyzes application cases involving UAVs equipped with different NDT techniques and examines key technologies such as lightweight design, system integration, defect detection algorithms, payload capacity, and autonomous flight. It also identifies challenges, including the integration of multiple NDT techniques on UAV platforms and the implementation of new NDT techniques, proposing a solution framework. The study further discusses emerging areas requiring continued research, such as multi-modal fusion, edge computing, relay communication, instability mitigation, multi-UAV cooperation, and specialized UAV applications. Directions from both technical and non-technical perspectives are provided. This work serves as a systematic reference for academic and engineering practices in UAV-based NDT, aiming to promote its intelligent and precise development in industrial inspection.