Drones are being used to monitor industrial plants and wind turbines. They’re also finding gas leaks in faulty pipelines.
Now, a French startup has developed autonomous flying devices to carry out long-distance inspections of critical infrastructure. During a single voyage lasting for up to 10 hours, vehicles can cover distances of 300km+.
On board, LiDAR devices, gas sensors and cameras capture all necessary data with millimetre precision. An AI then detects anomalies such as plant outgrowth, power line faults or damage to railway tracks.
Back at ground level, results and recommendations for predictive maintenance are shown on a dashboard map of the area scanned. The airships are powered by hydrogen (manufacture of which could be accelerated with yeast).
