The control station in England could have been anywhere in the world, and the pilot would only need internet access to issue high-level instructions if something went wrong. McKenna wants armies of drones to inspect and maintain the electricity transmission grid. This can be done because of similarities between towers. The company's system can reconstruct each pylon using photos taken in a consistent, repeatable process.
Each pilot could operate like air traffic control at an airport by observing several drones. Even if communication fails, the drones can execute the mission.
Sees.ai's software works in the same way as self-driving cars. It uses six on-board sensors, three fish-eye cameras, and an IMU to create a 3D world that it presents on a computer screen. Instead of relying on potentially inaccurate or outdated historical data from asset design files, the software captures its own from scratch, and will evolve in real time throughout the drones mission.
It was a step towards developing a command and control system that would allow for approval on a large scale by the FAA. The remote inspection of Sellafield's nuclear site is one of the trials so far. Sees.ai has been looking into the possibility of using the system to transport medical supplies and eventually people.
The limits of what drones can do are being pushed by this technology. Rules that govern the operation of drones make it difficult to roll them out at scale. The FAA in the US forbids companies from flying drones beyond the line of sight. Most of the waivers it has approved have been for research. Waivers that have been granted for commercial purposes have been limited on a number of levels. The FAA recommended in March that the regulations for drones be changed to allow the industry to grow.
Skyqraft is a Swedish company that uses artificial intelligence to analyze data from drones. Zipline, a US startup, is trying to develop its systems in Africa.
The pilot in the UK is required to be within the visual line of sight of the drones. Sees.ai was given explicit authority to operate flights up to 150 feet in nonsegregated airspace. Only a small number of companies in the world have permission to do this. American Robotics was the first company authorized by the FAA to operate automated drones without anyone on-site to monitor them. The DAA technology that it uses ensures that its drones stay away from other aircraft.
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