SPECIAL FOCUS : DRONES
The ‘learning drone’ will be able to process imagery while in the air
expansion in the introduction of air transport drone systems globally.
The power to think on the fl y A common use of drone technology is in the analysis of geographical information and the test and inspection of safety-critical systems such as power installations, pipelines, oil platforms and infrastructure such as bridges, buildings and dams. T e process has, until now, required the drone to complete its operation and return the data to the operator, which is then often sent to a third- party supplier for processing. T e supplier would than have to analyse it before any action could be taken on its fi ndings. T is is somewhat of an Achilles heel for the drone industry as it introduces a considerable delay in the process and risks the situation changing before corrective action can be taken. It also introduces additional costs into the process, often making
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the margin between using drones for inspections and using human inspectors negligible. Machine learning technology developed by Precise Prediction can enable a drone to process imagery to detect levels of rust, cracks, damage and other issues live! T e ‘learning drone’ will be able to process and determine the nature and severity of the damage while it is in the air – which is a remarkable capability enhancement. T e cost savings alone made by
this development make the use of drone inspection systems over human inspectors compelling. In addition, this technology will undoubtedly lead to a new race of ‘on drone’ repair systems that could take corrective actions immediately or enable the dispatch of secondary repair drones immediately. Although this technology is still young, it represents a quantum leap for the drone ‘test and inspect’ industry, essentially evolving it to ‘test, inspect and
repair’ and leading to new developments in ‘on drone’ repair systems capable of a wider range of rectifi cation. T is one development gives this sector impressive potential for growth.
The bigger picture Drone Major continues to work closely with the mining industry to provide guidance on the use of advanced and innovative drone technology and the organisation is delighted when it is able to take great ideas born in the mining sector into the drone industry for the benefi t of all concerned. ●
Robert Garbett is CEO of Drone Major.
www.dronemajor.com
REFERENCES 1
Source: Infotechlead (www.
infotechlead.com/it-statistics/ idc-forecast-mining-industrys- technology-spending-52548)
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