ENERGY SECTOR

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES ECOSYSTEM

BENEFITS FOR THE ENERGY SECTOR

Today, an increasing number of energy companies is using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for visual inspections, because it is a cost-effective and safe way to inspect the infrastructure. UAVs can be used to inspect power lines (PL) and support structures for vegetation intrusion, bird nests, lightning strikes, rust/corrosion, or damaged bolts. Moreover, due to modern unmanned aerial systems (UAS), energy companies can digitize information on their assets, monitor accidents, and map construction sites.  

However, the entire potential of using UAVs remains unfulfilled. For instance, manned aircraft are still used to fly over extended PL networks, because flying drone beyond line of sight of the operator is not allowed, and mobile escort teams are often unable to follow the UAV’s route due to terrain features. All these factors strongly impact the feasibility and cost efficiency of such inspections using UAVs.  

ABR AirChannel UTM unmanned aircraft system traffic management system will enable such flights to be performed autonomously, thus providing additional benefits from the use of unmanned aerial systems.  

ABR Ecosystem unmanned software and hardware systems feature an ability to analyze data in real-time using deep learning neural networks, and the integrated ecosystem services enable post-processing of images using photogrammetry software and GIS tools. With these solutions, you can easily sort images and generate detailed reports with accurate data about where the image was taken and its exact location in the power lines.