Research and development is a core part of the work we do. Enabling the use of drones in industrial applications will require solving many current challenges faced by unmanned aerial vehicles.

The current potential applications are:

1. Intensive line inspection

This task is currently done by workers on the ground. They visually inspect the elements of the power line by walking along the lines and by getting on the support towers to find any anomalies. With UAVs this work can be done faster, more precisely and minimizing the risks especially for the employees.

2. Aerial Power Line inspection

These are routine inspections done for preventive maintenance with visual and thermo-graphic images of the power lines. By using aerial images, engineers have different and closer points of view of the power lines. Also it is faster and more continued along the lines.

The visual images help to detect defects or anomalies in the power line elements (supports, insulators, conductors, fittings, etc.)

Thermo-graphic images allow the location of “Hot spots” that are elements which temperature is higher than the rest of the object. This can be associated to the inappropriate contact or any other aspect that can’t be seen from a visual image.

With a high autonomy and the possibility of beyond the visual line of sight flights, UAVs can considerably improve this task especially with the easy integration of cameras and sensors.

3. Topography

This task is usually done to have a precise knowledge and management of the installations. It is recommended to be done periodically in order to have updated information.

Traditionally this process was carried out on the ground with theodolites or total stations.

Later, with technological advances and the development of LiDAR technology (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser imaging Detection and Ranging), they began to obtain topographic data from aerial systems. Helicopters are usually implemented for this task due to their capability of flying at lower altitudes and velocity.

Now with the apparition of UAVs, they can perform the same activities, but at a lower cost and more precisely; thus more flights can be done.

4. Support for Emergency Action

Emergency actions can be defined as a set of actions carried out to return the system to a normal power supply situation in case of a non-programmed unavailability. These anomalies are usually caused by extraordinary meteorological phenomena (intensive rains, wind, low temperatures, etc.) which can produce a break on the conductors or the fall of the support towers.

With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, engineers can obtain a fast panoramic vision of the anomaly for a better organization of the elements in order to minimize the impact in the electrical system.

As we can see, effective use of cameras and sensors are seminal to a success of the implementation of UAVs in these tasks. Thanks to the advance in technology sensors are starting to develop and at smaller sizes which allow an easier integration on drones to combine both advantages and facilitate the work. The most used in power line management are Thermography and LiDAR.

Thermography

Thermography is a technology that has existed for many years, but is not until lately that it has been expanding in different maintenance areas for power line management. Its main objective is to provide the maximum amount of information to the technician and manager in order to facilitate the thermal detection of anomalies in the system and at the same time, to be easily identifiable in its installation context.

Thermographic pictures allow engineers to visualize temperature patterns in the electrical installation systems, where failures are usually associates with an increase in material residence which in turn causes an increase in temperature. This allows the engineer to examine (quantitatively or qualitatively) every element in the electrical distribution system to search for heating patterns in order to detect and solve possible problems before the failure is produced.

Other applications include LiDAR, which data will be seminal for renewable energy sellers and ground penetrating radar which has a myriad of applications in mining, civil engineering and telecoms.

LiDAR, photogrammetry integration, ultra-accurate localised DGPS and a portable multi-spectrum communications system that when implemented, will be important advances in the practical deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles within a number of lucrative niche industrial applications.

We plan to invest heavily in research and development where it will develop valuable unique IP.