PAYLOADS IN DEVELOPMENT
Install. Maintain. Inspect.
Bird Diverters
Nearly 60 million birds a year die when they collide with power line cables they do not see.
We've developed a bird diverter that we can install with our Astria drone (and already demonstrated it). We're now working to install 15 diverters in a single flight prior to demonstrations with utilities. That's just a little safer than hanging our of a helicopter to do the same thing!
ACTIVE THERMOGRAPHY SENSOR
Detect subsurface delamination and defects in concrete, fiberglass, and more.
This sensor fits on the end of Astria's payload arm to identify subsurface material defects. After being flown close to a target, lamps heat up the surface, then a high-resolution thermal sensor takes a series of infrared images. Heat flows through defects differently than the rest of the material and can be identified with software post-processing of the images.
This sensor is undergoing lab testing and made in collaboration with Boise State University.
CRACK WIDTH MEASURER
Measure crack widths on an entire wall simultaneously.
This sensor fits on the end of Astria's payload arm. When positioned close to a wall, this crack width measurement sensor can identify and measure all of the cracks in the field of view. It beats rappelling down and using a crack card by a mile.
This sensor is currently undergoing lab and field testing. Since the sensor integrates a AI-enabled camera, future software updates will allow other measurement and characterization tasks.
FUTURE PAYLOADS & TASKS
What could you do with an up-close and touch-capable drone?
BIRD DIVERTER INSTALLATION
Simple Task. Dangerous Procedure
To reduce avian interaction with powerlines, small devices called "bird diverters" are installed. Today that requires the use of a helicopter or specialized boom trucks, which is expensive and dangerous. We'd like to develop a payload to let linemen do this remotely.
