There are many drone makers that make drones that can carry out industrial inspections. The Cleo Robotics Dronut K1 we saw recently is one such example. That said industrial inspection, indoor or outdoor, is nothing new. However, what Skypersonic pulled off recently is a groundbreaking achievement in commercial unmanned drone operations.
The industrial drone company’s drone has performed the world’s first transcontinental industrial inspection via cellphone connection. In this world’s first, Skypersonic drone, Skycopter, visually inspected the interior of a fully operational utility plant in Turin, Italy, using a drone controlled from Orlando, Florida, 4,800 miles (about 7,725 km) away. And it did so without relying on GPS which is not available indoors.
The entire operation was performed using the Skypersonic remote piloting software, with a connection through a 5G mobile hotspot router. Both the video and controls work at ultra-low latency, which means what the pilot sees and his/her corresponding inputs to maneuver are in real-time.
As for the drone, it is a special confined space UAV unit that is designed to go where humans cannot go or in spaces that are too dangerous for humans, such as contaminated areas, sewers, and stacks. It is outfitted with LED illumination and a protective cage, and it can carry a multi-sensor payload for detecting gas or radiation.
This landmark operation also emphasizes the benefit of 5G technology.
Fun fact: remote control of a vehicle over great distances using 5G isn’t new. Granted, none has done it across the ocean as Skypersonic did. In China, some companies have already leveraged 5G to allow fun seekers to remotely pilot radio control cars from hundreds of miles away.
Images: Skypersonic.
