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New UT probe for Elios 3 indoor drone captures A-scans remotely

elios 3 drone ut payload flyability shipping

Confined spaces and indoor drone specialist Flyability has released a new ultrasonic thickness (UT) measurement probe for the Elios 3. The payload has been developed in partnership with ultrasonic tech specialist Cygnus Instruments, so certified UT inspectors can take accurate thickness measurements under ISO 16809 compliance and back them up with high-resolution A-scans in the most challenging areas.

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Skyports’ drones aid Network Rail with biodiversity-protecting infrastructure maintenance

skyports drone rail

UK companies Skyports Drone Services and environmental protection maintenance specialist Ground Control are pairing up to help railroad infrastructure owner Network Rail in spotting and organizing its track clearing activities with greater attention to ecological protection.

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FAA BVLOS drone waiver enables “blended” MassDOT rail inspections

FAA BVLOS drone

As predicted when policies and budgets were passed to mend long neglected infrastructure across the US, the deployment of drones for inspection and restoration of public assets has increased dramatically. Yet another example of that is the work the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will do in surveying its aging rail system using a newly-issued Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operation. 

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Percepto’s latest FAA waiver allows single pilot to oversee 30 automated drones at once

Percepto automated drones

Surging automated drone tech company Percepto has added another Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) achievement to its growing list, which in this case allows the company to remotely operate up to 30 of its UAVs using only one pilot.

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NCDOT wins second FAA BVLOS remote drone inspection waiver

NCDOT FAA BVLOS drone

The North Carolina Department of Transport (NCDOT) has earned its second Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver to operate routine drone inspection missions in beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) mode, and will use that with craft from docked stations it plans to deploy near construction sites around the state.

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Infrastructure bill proposes $100M in grants for US-made drones

Dominion Skydio drones BVLOS inspection

Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have proposed new legislation to increase the use of US-made drones in infrastructure projects. The bipartisan bill would authorize $100 million in competitive grants to help local governments leverage American drones in critical infrastructure inspections, maintenance, and construction activities.

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Drone flies 77 miles nonstop in Texas, live-streaming video

valmont drone bvlos longest tmobile 5g inspection

Infrastructure inspections are a routine task for businesses like Valmont Industries. But a recent mission from Valmont is making headlines because it saw the company flying a gas-electric hybrid drone nonstop for 77 miles! The drone flew for almost three hours, from Childress to Aspermont in Texas, inspecting vital infrastructure like power lines, railroads, bridges, and more.

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TSA addresses privacy questions before airport drone deployment

TSA drones airport

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing to begin drone inspections of airports and other transport hubs to assess the security of those facilities, but before doing so has moved to address any public concerns that images or other identifying data will be collected of people who happen to be around areas under surveillance.

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PAU wins nation-wide FAA drone infrastructure inspection waiver

PAU BVLOS drone infrastructure

Drone data-gathering company Phoenix Air Unmanned (PAU) has received a nation-wide waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to use Flyfree’s Alta X UAVs during beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) powerline infrastructure inspection missions for clients.

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Skydio drones, Qii.AI to inspect ships for Royal Canadian Navy

royal canadian navy ship inspection drone skydio

Drone manufacturer Skydio says its technology partner Qii.AI has won a contract to conduct automated ship inspections and detect corrosion for the Royal Canadian Navy. While the Qii.AI platform will provide AI-based data analytics, the visual data gathering part of the Navy’s ship inspection program will be carried out using Skydio drones.

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