#thenewscompany : Flyability introduces the first collision-tolerant drone designed for industrial inspection professionals. Allowing access to complex, cluttered or indoor places, Elios is unleashing the potential of UAVs in various applications where their use was previously too dangerous or impossible.
Drone technology is steadily being incorporated as a sustainable practice for asset managers in various industries. Nonetheless, current solutions are unable to operate close to structures or in contact with operators, restricting effective inspection in complex environments. While conventional methods are still required for maintenance, preliminary inspection can be performed at lower inspection cost and downtime. Risks are also decreased by avoiding confined space entry and remotely accessing boilers, tanks, pressure vessels, ballast tanks, tunnels and other complex environments inside plants or hazardous work environments.
Inspection of ships’ ballast tanks for general integrity, corrosion status as well as the monitoring of the anodes within the ballast usually requires three to four men and extensive safety equipment such as gas and oxygen monitoring detectors, ropes, flashlights, and harnesses. Flying in complex and pitch-dark confined spaces, Elios has demonstrated its capacity to deliver a quicker and safer method to inspect ballasts. The robot’s collision-tolerance allows navigating safely in contact with the structures, rolling on the walls when required. The onboard LEDs allow no external lighting.
By allowing drones to fly safely inside buildings and in contact with people, Flyability enables new interactions and services with UAVs and solve the two most critical issues of one of the fastest growing industries: collision and injury risks.