Drones are transforming the inspection industry by increasing accuracy and efficiency, eliminating costly downtime and safety risks. They can capture picture- or thermal data and convert them into a three-dimensional image, allowing skilled interpreters to quickly identify areas of concern.
Home inspectors can use drones to examine hard-to-reach areas such as roofs, chimneys and siding. But they must set realistic expectations with their clients.
The indoor drone for high-quality inspections in confined areas
Drone technology is reshaping key industries, enabling efficient inspections, enhancing safety, and optimizing processes. It reduces the need for costly manual work and scaffolding, eliminates hazardous waste disposal, and minimizes environmental impact, delivering significant cost savings.
Drone for inspection in the chemicals industry enables quick identification of potential safety hazards and allows for timely maintenance actions. With the help of specialized sensors, such as multispectral cameras or high-resolution cameras with Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements (UTM), inspection tasks can be completed safely without any human entry into hazardous areas.
Assimilating drone technology into one’s inspection workflow requires an astute assessment of suitable areas ripe for digitalization, substantial equipment and training investments, and rigorous adherence to strict safety compliance protocols. However, the payoff is immense: drones enable higher frequency of inspections that surface potential issues more quickly, thus prolonging the life of critical industrial assets.
Stereoscopic stabilization
In industrial visual inspection of confined spaces, image quality is extremely demanding. To see clearly, the drone needs a high resolution and large field of view. The LUMICOPTER features the best-in-class video chip for 4K (3840×2160 pixels) recording, with RockSteady EIS and an ultra-wide 150deg FOV to capture the whole area of interest without any distortion.
Drones are revolutionizing the way companies carry out visual assessments and maintenance activities, reducing the risks for humans while saving time and money. In the oil & gas sector, for example, drones can eliminate lengthy procedures and improve operational efficiency.
Flyability pioneered confined space inspection drones, creating technology that allows inspectors to collect data remotely inside dangerously confined spaces without putting themselves at risk. Our collision-tolerant drones are suitable for use in many industries, including Power Generation, petrochemicals, mining and infrastructure & utilities. They can be fitted with a variety of payloads for flexible, custom inspection solutions. They can also generate orthomosaic maps and provide thermal imaging, giving you new insight into inaccessible environments.
Distance measurement directly available in flight
Unlike conventional inspections that require a long set-up time and heavy access equipment, drone inspections can be executed at the push of a button. The precise data capture of high-resolution or 4K video cameras enables a meticulous examination, ensuring that all facets of the object are assessed. This is a significant step toward a preemptive maintenance culture, eliminating direct human involvement in potentially risky situations.
Drone inspections reshape key industries like construction, agriculture and environmental monitoring by enabling more efficient, safer and more cost-effective operational capacities. However, incorporating drones into your operational workflow requires careful planning to avoid potential risks and ensure compliance with regulations.
A systematic process for BIM-supported drone path planning was developed to address these challenges, ensuring high coverage rates, occluded avoidance and collision-free operation. The procedure consists of five steps: coordinate transformation to the building surface model, viewpoint generation, path planning, virtual simulation and actual flight. This approach ensures the optimal use of drones for inspecting large building exterior surfaces and complies with regulatory requirements for industrial flights.
Safety first
There are a few considerations to keep in mind when deploying drones for inspection. The first is ensuring that you have the right equipment and knowledge to complete the job safely. This includes obtaining necessary permits and permissions, assessing the inspection site for any risks, and identifying potential challenges.
Another important factor is ensuring that your drone is equipped with the appropriate tools to capture high-quality images and data. This may include a gimbal, which helps to stabilize the camera and minimize movement during flight. You should also experiment with different altitudes to determine the best position for your camera based on the nature of your inspection.
Drones offer a safe and efficient way to access hard-to-reach areas and can be outfitted with cameras, sensors, and other equipment that provide valuable insight into the condition of an asset. They can even generate a visual paper trail, so that companies can react quickly to any issues and make repairs before damage has time to occur.
