Inspection drones: The first line of defense for essential infrastructures

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• February 14, 2023

Inspection drones (including aerial drones, autonomous land robots, and underwater drones) are increasingly being used to assess damage after natural disasters, as well as to monitor remote areas that are often too risky for human workers. This inspection work includes monitoring critical and high-value infrastructure, such as gas and oil pipelines and high power lines.

Inspection drones context

Industries requiring regular visual inspections are increasingly relying on drones to do the job. Power utilities, in particular, have started using drones equipped with zoom lenses and thermal and lidar sensors to get more information about power lines and infrastructure. Inspection drones are also deployed in offshore and onshore construction sites and confined spaces.

It is essential to keep faults and production loss at a minimum for the installation and inspection of equipment. For example, oil-gas operators use drones to regularly inspect their flares (a device used in burning gas), as this process of data collection does not interrupt production. Data is collected remotely, and the drone pilot, inspector, and employees are not in any danger. Drones are also ideal for inspecting taller wind turbines to inspect them for damage. With high-resolution pictures, the drone can capture any potential defects so that repair work can be planned in detail. 

There is a growing need for inspection drone fleets across all industries. In 2022, a new bill was introduced in the US Senate that seeks to create a framework for using drones in infrastructure inspections, with USD $100 million in funding. The Drone Infrastructure Inspection Act (DIIG) intends to support not only the use of drones in inspections across the country but also the training of those flying and servicing them. The drones will be deployed to inspect and collect data on bridges, highways, dams, and other structures.

Disruptive impact

Utility companies are taking advantage of drone technology to provide more regular inspections at lower costs. For example, drones are being used in Scotland to monitor the country's sewage systems. Utility firm Scottish Water plans to replace traditional workforce inspections with this new technology to increase work accuracy and efficiency, consequently reducing carbon emissions. Scottish Water stated that introducing drones will result in more accurate assessments, lowering the cost of repair and maintenance and reducing flooding risk and pollution. These devices are equipped with cameras and laser technology to detect cracks, holes, partial collapses, infiltration, and root ingress.

Meanwhile, the New South Wales transportation agency is trialing drones for bridge inspection using 3D-mapping software in Australia. The agency reported that the technology is a game-changer for maintaining the safety of essential infrastructures, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Deploying drones for infrastructure inspection is part of the state's 2021-2024 transport technology roadmap.

Farmers can also apply the potential use of uncrewed aerial vehicles to locate cows and determine herd health remotely. Drones can likewise be employed to identify marine debris built up along coastal areas. Additionally, active volcanoes can be monitored using drones that provide real-time information regarding potential disruptions. As use cases for inspection drones continue to develop, more companies will be focusing on building these versatile machines with lightweight but durable materials and ever-advancing sensors with computer vision and machine learning capabilities.

Implications of inspection drones

Wider implications of inspection drones may include: 

• Energy firms using drone fleets to identify weak areas in towers, electricity grids, and pipelines.
• Maintenance workers across all sectors being retrained to operate and troubleshoot inspection drones.
• Startups developing better inspection drones equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) cameras and sensors, and longer battery life. Long term, drones will become equipped with robotic arms or specialized tools to make basic-to-advanced repairs of select maintenance tasks.
• Drones being used to patrol oceans during storms, including being deployed during search and rescue missions.
• Ocean cleanup organizations using inspection drones to assess ocean garbage patches and identify areas for intervention.
• Military and border patrol agencies adopting these drones for monitoring long borders, patrolling rugged territory, and securing sensitive locations.

Questions to comment on

• If your company is using drones for inspection, how useful are these devices?
• What are the other potential uses of inspection drones?