The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has announced the financial approval of its five-year, 37.2 million drone program that will build on the utility’s accumulating experience in deploying UAVs for inspection, safety, and other continuing operational activities.
The NYPA, the largest state public power utility in the US, said the initial tranche of financing for the project had been authorized by New York authorities. That will allow it to begin assembling a large, in-house fleet of drones and other craft with the objective of introducing “new inspection capabilities over the next five years,” and establish the organization as “an industry leader in robotic initiatives.”
NYPA has been gradually increasing its use of drones as part of its infrastructure inspection and maintenance work for over half a decade now, with the new program marking the definitive transition from a more piecemeal approach to a fixed, integrated UAV structure.
After initially deploying the craft mainly for power line and tower checks, the NYPA added automated, artificial intelligence-driven systems that more rapidly scan images for signs of wear or damage needing repair.
Earlier this year it obtain regulators’ approval to begin operating beyond visual line of sight missions in partnership with Skydio, and has extended drone flights to dam safety and waterway monitoring.
Read more: NYPA, Skydio receive FAA waiver for BVLOS drone inspections
Those activities are set to be expanded to inspections of bridges, roofs, security structures, and other utility assets, motivating the NYPA’s decision to create a sufficiently large drone fleet and pilot pool to conduct the countless flights required.
Read: sees.ai earns broad UK BVLOS approval for drone electricity asset inspections
“By bringing more drones into our day-to-day operations, we can better harness the benefit of automation, safety, and consistency across our assets while reducing costs and insuring a more reliable power supply,” said NYPA robotics program manager Peter Kalaitzidis. “Inspections can be improved and expanded to include other areas and assets. With use of drone technology, we can more easily capture the real-world state of our operations to support real-time decision making.”
The nearly $10 million in initially approved funds will cover the early efforts of launching the NYPA’s drone operation, with the remaining $26 million used to build on that over the following four years the project spans.
Image: Karl Greif/Unsplash
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