SkyX Systems Corporation, a Canadian aerial data analysis firm, has successfully completed an unmanned data collection flight of 100km (62.3 miles), one of the longest journeys in its class.
The firm flew its SkyOne Unmanned Aerial System, a VTOL drone, in Mexico on an autonomous data mission over more than 100 kilometres of gas pipeline. The robotic flight was programmed and monitored remotely from the company’s Greater Toronto Area SkyCenter mission control, with a support crew of engineers on the ground in Mexico.
Using high-resolution imagery, they identified more than 200 potentially significant anomalies along the remote pipeline, ranging from unauthorized buildings and cultivation, through to a fissure possibly caused by seismic activity.
“This mission was groundbreaking,” says SkyX Founder and CEO Didi Horn. “We have proven our solution in a rugged environment which presented network communications challenges. Our Mexican partner was stunned not only by our results, but by the speed and accuracy with which we delivered them.”
According to the firm, the flights mark a milestone for several reasons:
- A 100+ kilometre flight gathered data in a little more than an hour that would have taken a person well over a week
- That mission identified more than 200 geo-referenced anomalies the customer was unaware existed, pinpointing precise coordinates for rapid investigation and remediation
- The mission positions SkyX as the leading solution for cost-effective monitoring of oil and gas pipelines and other long-range infrastructure.
“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. SkyX brings an unprecedented value proposition to this global issue,” says Horn.
The SkyX System VTOL aircraft takes off like a helicopter but flies like a plane. The SkyCenter control room (which allows for real-time and secure mission monitoring from remote locations), and the company’s proprietary SkyBoxes, allow SkyOne to recharge and continue long-range missions without having to “Return to Home” (a factor that limits nearly every other drone).
SkyX is currently finalizing a second round of financing, providing an opportunity for investors. To date the company has gathered 25 per cent of its targeted funding.
Visit here for more information on SkyX.
Frank Schroth is editor in chief of DroneLife, the authoritative source for news and analysis on the drone industry: it’s people, products, trends, and events.
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