A Machine Learning Approach for Simultaneous Classification of Material Types and Cracks

Exterior structures are susceptible to deformation, which can manifest as cracks on the surface. Deformations that occur on surfaces subjected to daily human use can exacerbate rapidly, potentially leading to irreversible structural damage. They have a potential to result in fatalities. Thus, continuous inspection of these deformations is of invaluable importance. In addition, the identification of the materials comprising the structures is essential to facilitate the implementation of appropriate precautionary measures. However, the inspections are hard to maintain with a solely human workforce. More advanced actions can be taken thanks to the developments in technology. Machine Learning methods could be used in this area where human workforce is ineffective. In this regard, an end-to-end Machine Learning approach was proposed in this study. The power of classical feature extraction methods and Artificial Neural Networks were combined to detect cracks and material of the surface simultaneously. The 2D Discrete Wavelet Transform and statistical properties gained from Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix were utilized in the feature extraction mechanism, and an ANN structure was designed. The findings of the study indicate that the proposed mechanism achieved an acceptable level of accuracy for recognizing the structural deformations, despite the challenges posed by the complexity of the problem.