Before the Next Patrol

No. A patrol can provide supporting observations, but required inspections, professional assessments and operator responsibilities remain with the appropriate people. Agree the intended use of the evidence before deployment. Our structural guide explains why a visible surface record is not an assessment of structural adequacy.

No. Capability depends on the platform, stair geometry, footing, clearance and operating conditions. Validate the actual route and report inaccessible areas. A legged platform may handle some stairs, but that does not establish safe performance on wet treads, tight landings or stairs with open edges.

It may record visible changes, but an ordinary camera cannot establish bolt torque or rule out concealed corrosion. Those questions may require hands-on checks or specialist testing. Keep “not visible” separate from “no defect observed.” See the seating coverage rules for an example.

No. Load, emissivity, reflections, distance and environment affect thermal images. Qualified interpretation and appropriate follow-up are necessary. A thermal survey must not become a reason to open live equipment or bypass established electrical safety procedures.

Only under an assessed operating plan with separation or suitable interaction controls, communicated routes and safe stopping arrangements. An empty-looking stadium may still contain workers. Cleaning, security and maintenance activities can change both the route and the risks during a single patrol.

No. Lighting performance requires appropriate instruments, measurement positions, operating conditions and assessment against applicable requirements. Camera exposure can disguise uneven illumination. Read the lighting guide for the distinction between observing an apparent outage and measuring performance.

The deployment must define safe stop, retreat or assistance behaviour. Incomplete areas should remain explicitly unobserved until they are safely rechecked. Plan recovery in advance, including who is authorised to retrieve the robot and how to avoid blocking access or escape routes.

Limit collection, set retention periods, restrict access, secure network connections and review supplier access. Service-area images can disclose sensitive layouts and equipment. Avoid unnecessary images of workers, and do not grant building-control permissions merely because a robot needs to observe a system.

Choose a bounded route and defined observations. Measure usable coverage, repeatability, false alarms, recovery needs and completed human follow-up rather than distance travelled. Compare outputs with a competent review of the same area, and include representative obstructions and operating conditions in the evaluation.