Drone analyzes 100 km of pipeline anomalies in one hour, a task estimated to take one week for human manpower for inspection
SkyX Systems Corporation has developed a drone system and tested it by collecting data in a flight over a 100 km (62 miles) pipeline.
The SkyOne Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flew over an unnamed pipeline in Mexico collecting data on the pipeline. The flight was programmed and monitored remotely from the company’s Greater Toronto Area SkyCenter mission control. A support crew of engineers was on the ground in Mexico.
SkyX said, “Using high-resolution imagery, the longest of multiple flights in Mexico identified more than 200 potentially significant anomalies along the pipeline, ranging from unauthorized buildings and cultivation, to a fissure possibly caused by seismic activity.”
The 100 km flight geo-referenced anomalies that the customer was unaware of, the company said. Precise coordinates were recorded, allowing rapid investigation and remediation. The autonomous data mission took about an hour. SkyX estimates that a person would have taken over a week to complete the same survey.
Source: SkyX
Depending on the length of the mission, SkyX can deploy more than one drone. Strategically placed xStations act as bases for the drones, expanding coverage and airtime. The xStations permit the drones to land, recharge, and take off. Additionally, the bases have a roof that opens and closes, allowing the drones to take shelter in inclement weather.
Source: SkyX
“More than $38 billion is spent annually monitoring oil and gas pipelines using less efficient means, which often identify problems only long after they’ve occurred,” said SkyX Founder and CEO Didi Horn.
