User Manual
Birdsview Inspect
Last updated: April 20, 2022
Introduction
This is the user manual for Birdsview Inspect. The manual is intended to provide information about all relevant solution aspects a user may encounter and serves as a reference on how to use the product. If the user manual is not providing you with the answers you are seeking, or if some parts of the manual are not clear or explanatory enough, please inform your contact person in Birdsview AS for this to be improved.
The manual is divided into sections, see table of contents below. Click on the relevant section for more information.
Table of Contents
System Requirements
The Birdsview Inspect is compatible with
- Apple iPad
The Birdsview Inspect is currently only available on Apple iPad, as it is dependent on a third-party application that is only available in App Store.
Apple iPad Requirements
The Apple iPad must satisfy the following requirements
- Operating system iPadOS 15.2 or higher
- Cellular network
- Connected to a mobile subscription
The operating system must be of iPadOS version 15.2 or higher.
The iPad must support a cellular network. This is required in order to communicate with Birdsview’s servers and cloud services.
In order to access the cellular network, the iPad must have a valid mobile subscription.
Authentication
To be able to use Birdsview Inspect you will have to sign in to a valid user account. When signing in, please follow these steps
- Insert your user email and press Next
- A password field will appear if there exists a valid user account for the provided email
- Insert your password and press Sign in
If you have forgotten your password, click the Forgot password button after completing step 2 above. Check that your email address is correct and press Reset password. You will then receive an email enabling you to set a new password.
Download Third-party application
A third-party app, Proceq GPR Live, is required to collect data with Birdsview Inspect. If the third-party app is not installed on the iPad, you will be prompted to download it after signing in to Birdsview Inspect. When prompted with the download request you have the following options:
- Skip the download
- Confirm that the third-party app is already installed
- Open the third-party in App Store for download
Option 1 should only be used if you do not plan to collect any data with Birdsview Inspect. This is normally not the case, and thus we advise against using this option.
Option 2 should be used if you are sure that the third-party app is installed. You should, however, not be prompted with the download request unless the third-party app is not installed. We thus also advise against using option 2.
Option 3 opens the correct third-party app in App Store and enables you to download the app. Please navigate back to Birdsview Inspect after completing the download.
Note
If option 1 or 2 is used, you will be automatically taken to the App Store and the required third-party app whenever you are using a part of Birdsview Inspect that requires the third-party app. You can of course also download the Proceq GPR Live app directly from the App Store.
Connect Scanner
The scanner must be connected to the third-party app (Proceq GPR Live) to enable scans to be performed. You can read more about this third-party application and how to download it in the section Download third-party application.
The best practice is to always start a new user session by connecting the scanner first. The connection process should only be necessary once per user session. If the scanner battery is disconnected, the power runs out or the connection is lost for other reasons, the connection process must be repeated.
To connect the radar, make sure that the following steps are completed:
- You are signed in to the Proceq GPR Live application with a valid user; and
- The scanner is registered as a valid probe.
For guidance on how to complete steps 1 and 2 above, please read the sections Sign in to the Proceq GPR Live and Register Scanner as Probe below. When these steps are complete, do the following to connect the scanner:
- Press and hold the two action buttons on the scanner until a blue light starts blinking
- Go to the main menu in the Proceq GPR Live app and select Probe
- Wait until the blue light stops blinking
- Click the WiFi icon next to the probe registration number
- When information on the scanner appears the scanner is successfully connected
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Sign in to the Proceq GPR Live
To sign in to the Proceq GPR Live, please follow these steps:
- Go to the main menu in the Proceq GPR Live app and select Sign In
- Enter the username and password that have been provided by Birdsview AS
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Register Scanner as Probe
The scanner must be registered as a valid probe in the Proceq GPR Live. To do so, follow these steps:
- Go to the main menu in the Proceq GPR Live app and select Probe
- Click the Scan button
- Remove the battery from the scanner, a QR code will appear on the top of the scanner
- Scan the QR code with the iPad
- The scanner will appear with a registration number if registered successfully
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Map Interactions and Settings
Map
An important part of Birdsview Inspect is the map, displaying relevant grid information. The map will display:
- the location of the user, marked with a circular blue location indicator; and
- If data exists: Red position markers, representing mast objects.
You can move around on the map by dragging your finger. You can also use two fingers to either zoom in, by moving your fingers towards each other, or zoom out, by moving them away from each other. You even have the opportunity to change the perception of the map by sliding three fingers.
Attached to the map, there is also a toolbar in addition to action buttons overlapping the map on the right-hand side. For more information on the functionality of the toolbar and the action buttons, see the following subsections.
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Map Toolbar
The map has a toolbar with two inline buttons:
- the left-most button is used to refresh all data and ensure that the Birdsview Inspect is in sync with its database; and
- the right-most button is used to open the settings menu described in more detail in the section Settings Menu.
Birdsview Inspect is always syncing its data to its database, so the need to use 1 is limited. It mostly serves as a precautionary measure in case the user operates in an area with limited internet access.
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Map Action Buttons
On the map, there are buttons overlapping the map itself. These buttons are called actions buttons and are located on the right-hand side of the map. There are a total of three action buttons and these are:
- plus button, located at the bottom right corner;
- location button, located above 1; and
- (conditional) compass button, located at the top right corner.
The plus button (1) is used to trigger a speed dial, giving you the options to (i) create a new observation and (ii) create a new mast. These actions are described in more detail in sections Create Observation and Masts respectively. Press the same button to close the speed dial.
The location button (2) simply centres the map on the user’s location. This is practical if the map is moved to an area far from the user and it is desirable to reposition the map on the user’s location.
By default, the map is oriented so that the North point in the direction of the top of the iPad. The compass button (3) is only displayed if the orientation deviates from the default orientation. Press this button to orient the map back to its default compass orientation.
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Settings Menu
In the toolbar at the top of the map, you will find the menu button on the right-hand side. Press this button to open the settings menu, appearing on the right-hand side of the screen. The settings menu displays the following information:
- User information
- About
- Help
- Sign out button
The user information section displays the (i) name, (ii) email address and (iii) company of the user account that is signed in to Birdsview Inspect.
The about section displays the installed system version of the Birdsview Inspect.
The help section enables you to open the link to this user manual.
The sign out button enables the user to sign out of the Birdsview Inspect.
To close the settings menu press anywhere outside the menu or click the menu button in the toolbar.
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Data
Birdsview Inspect enables reading and collecting data on grid objects. The data is structured in the following way:
- Observations, meaning measurements/scans/analysis, are linked to an inspection
- An inspection, representing a collection of observations, is linked to a pole
- A pole, representing an individual utility pole, is linked to a mast
- A mast is representing one or more poles that together make up the mast
More information on observations, inspections, poles and masts are found in the following sections.
Mast
Masts are represented by red position markers on the map. To get more information on a mast, or to add information to the mast, select the mast by clicking the red location marker. This will open a detailed view on the left side of the screen.
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The detail screen displays
- The name of the mast
- Its corresponding poles, if any
To the right of the displayed mast name, there is a button toggling a menu that contains three options:
- Edit the mast
- Delete the mast
- Update the mast
These functions, in addition to how to create a mast, are elaborated on in the following subsections.
Create Mast
To create a mast, press the action button on the map with the plus icon. As elaborated in section Map > Map Action Buttons this will open a speed dial, enabling a new mast to be created. Click the Create mast option.
A popup window will appear, asking you to:
- Insert valid mast name
- Select the position/coordinates of the mast
The mast name must contain at least 4 characters and cannot be a name that already exists in the user database. Nor can it be a name equal to a mast that has previously been deleted. If this creates problems, please inform your contact person in Birdsview AS.
The position/coordinates of the mast are selected by moving the appearing cross-mark on the map to the desired location. Please note that the cross-mark initially is located at the user’s location.
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Edit Mast
Click the Edit to change mast properties. The editable properties are:
- Mast name
- Mast position/coordinates
When clicking Edit, a popup will appear. To change the mast name, enter a valid mast name (more information on valid mast name can be found in subsection Create Mast above), to change position/coordinates move the x-mark on the displayed map to the desired position.
To confirm changes, press Confirm in the bottom right corner. To abort changes, press Cancel instead.
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Delete Mast
Press Delete to delete the mast. A confirmation popup will appear.
Update Mast
Press Update mast to sync data on the pole with the database. The Birdsview Inspect is always syncing its data to the database, and this button mostly serves as a precautionary measure in case the user operates in an area with limited internet access.
Poles
When selecting a mast, if poles exist the poles will appear as list elements in the poles section in the detail view. There are four options related to poles:
- Create new pole
- Select pole
- Delete pole
- Update pole
Note that the poles are indexed from 1 to the total number of poles in the mast. This is used to identify the individual poles.
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Create Pole
To create a pole, press the + Add pole button below the poles list. This will generate a new pole with an automatically assigned pole number.
Note that a new pole should only be added if the number of poles does not match the corresponding number of poles in that specific mast.
Select Pole
Select a pole by clicking on the relevant list element. Information on the pole number and a corresponding list of inspections on that pole will appear. To manoeuvre back to the pole list, click the button on the right-hand side of the pole number.
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Delete Pole
To delete a pole, swipe the pole list element to the left. A red delete button will appear. Click this, and confirm the appearing confirmation popup to delete the pole.
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Update Pole
To update the poles, drag the poles list down. A loading indicator will appear on top of the list and the poles will be updated. The Birdsview Inspect is always syncing its data to the database, and this function mostly serves as a precautionary measure in case the user operates in an area with limited internet access.
Inspections
When selecting a pole, inspections will appear as a list in the inspections section in the detail view. There are four options related to inspections:
- Create inspection
- Select inspection
- Delete inspection
- Update inspection
Note that inspections are automatically named based on the date they were created. By default, it is only the most recent inspection that is displayed. If there is more than one inspection on a pole, the remaining inspections can be viewed by toggling the Show more.
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Create Inspection
To create an inspection, press the + Add inspection button below the inspections list. This will generate a new inspection with an automatically assigned date.
Select Inspection
Select an inspection by clicking on the relevant list element. This will transition the user to the observation overview.
Delete Inspection
To delete an inspection, swipe the inspection list element to the left. A red delete button will appear. Click this, and confirm the appearing confirmation popup to delete the inspection.
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Update Inspection
To update inspections, drag the inspections list down. A loading indicator will appear on top of the list and the inspections will be updated. The Birdsview Inspect is always syncing its data to the database, and this function mostly serves as a precautionary measure in case the user operates in an area with limited internet access.
Observations
Observations are the collective designation of cross-section images, analysis and other data collected on objects. In the observation overview, all observations made on an object are sorted based on the height of the object where the observation was made.
A single observation includes the following information:
- Hight on the pole where the observation was made
- Cross-section image
- Cross-section strength analysis
Note that there is also a grey indicator representing the start point for a scan and the scan direction for each observation.
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Hight of Observations
The height of the observation represents where on the object the observation was made and is based on the ground level as the reference height. The ground level represents a height of 0.
For observation made below ground level, a negative height value is used.
Cross-Section Image
The cross-section image is a prediction of what the cross-section of the object looks like. The image is automatically generated and analysed by Birdsview Inspect. Green areas represent healthy wood while red areas represent some sort of anomaly.
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Cross-Section Strength Analysis
In the observation header, there is a Show strength toggle for toggling the strength analysis on and off. When the strength analysis is on, the cross-section image is overlaid by a strength plot containing:
- Strength value
- Weakest direction
- Strength section modulus
The strength value represents the residual strength in percent relative to what the strength of the cross-section would be if it was completely healthy.
The weakest direction is indicated by an arrow. This represents the direction in which the object is most vulnerable and weakest.
The strength section modulus is represented by an orange dotted line and indicates the strength in each direction. When the dotted line is close to the edge, this means that the object is strong in that direction. The farther away the dotted line is from the edge, the weaker the pole is in that direction.
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Edit Observation
The height of an observation can be edited. To do so, click the button in the top right corner of the observation header. A menu appears, select Edit. A popup window will appear, enabling you to set the correct height.
Delete Observation
To delete an observation, click the button in the top right corner of the observation header. A menu appears, and then select Delete.
Update Observation
To update inspections, click the button in the top right corner of the observation header. A menu appears, then select Refresh. The Birdsview Inspect is always syncing its data to the database, and this function mostly serves as a precautionary measure in case the user operates in an area with limited internet access.
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Create Observations
One of the main functions of Birdsview Inspect is to create observations, i.e. collect and analyse data on objects and components. There are two ways to create a new observation:
- From the map, by clicking the plus button in the bottom right corner and then select New observation; or
- From the list of existing observations.
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In both scenarios, the following must be selected:
- Mast, containing the pole where the observation is to be made
- Pole, where observation is to be made
- Inspection, dated to the day the observation is to be made
You will then be guided through a workflow for creating the observation. It consists of the following steps:
- Input scan height
- Perform scan
- Interpret result
These steps will be further elaborated on in the subsections below.
Input Scan Height
When prompted to insert the scan height, input the height above ground level where the scan is to be made. If the scanned area is below ground level, insert a negative value.
The height must be valid, i.e. between -5 and 50 meters.
When scan height is inserted, click Scan in the bottom right corner.
Perform Scan
After clicking Scan the user is transitioned to the third-party application to perform the scan and collect raw data from the scanner.
The screen should look like this:
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If another screen appears, you can manually manoeuvre to this screen by:
- Go to the main menu in the Proceq GPR Live app and select Data.
- Select the correct folder where scans are to be stored or create a new folder
- Press the plus icon at the bottom of the screen or simply press one of the action buttons on the scanner
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To perform a scan, follow these steps:
- Attach the scanner to the object to be scanned
- Press the plus button on the right of the screen in the third-party application
The scanner may need to power up if it’s been a long time since the scanner has been used. If so, repeat 1 when the powering up is finished.
- If the light indicator on the scanner is green, you are ready to scan.
- Move the scanner in the direction indicated on the scanning wheel (to the right).
- When the scan is completed, press the stop button to the right on the screen in the third party application
There are no limits to how fast you can scan the object. Just be careful to start and stop the scan at the same place, and to keep the scanner as close to the surface of the scanned object as possible.
To export the raw data to Birdsview Inspect, follow these steps:
- Click the share icon, a menu will appear
- Select Export as SEGY and wait until the export is finished
- A new menu will appear, select Copy
- Move back to Birdsview Inspect
When moving back to Birdsview Inspect, the raw data will automatically be collected and analysed. If you forget to export the data, this will be detected in the Birdsview Inspect and you will be asked to repeat steps 6 to 9.
Automated Analysis
When the analysis is completed, the user will be presented with an automated analysis giving information about:
- Healthy and non-healthy areas in the cross-section
- Strength calculations and strength in each direction
You can read more about how to interpret these analyses in the section Observations.
