CNN-Based Automatic Detection of Beachlines Using UAVs for Enhanced Waste Management in Tailings Storage Facilities

Continuous monitoring is key to the safety of such critical infrastructure as Tailings storage facilities. Due to the high risk of liquification of the dams, it is crucial to move the water as far as possible from the dam crest. In order to control the distance from the water to the dam, regular manual inspections need to be carried out. In this article, we propose a method for automatic detection of the water-beach line based on photographs from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). An algorithm based on MobileNet v2 convolutional neural network architecture was developed for the classification of images collected by the UAV. Based on the results of this classification, the border between the water and the beach is defined. Several approaches to the model training were tested. Accuracy for the validation set reaches up to 97% for particular image fragments.