Over 600 miles away from the inspection team, Valmont’s drone inspected transmission lines near Abilene, Texas critical to delivering clean energy to nearby Austin and Dallas. Using AI, the drone quickly identified which structures it needed to inspect more closely and transmitted high quantities of data, including approximately 12,000 images, back to the ground team for analysis within seconds.
Leveraging 5G provided by T-Mobile, Valmont was able to almost instantly transmit data back to inspection teams, even in rural or hard to reach areas. This can make all the difference when analyzing infrastructure sites, and in case of an emergency lead to faster response times.
“We’ve already shown that range is no longer a hurdle,” said Jake Lahmann, Business Line Manager, UAS Technology Solutions at Valmont. “It’s now a combination of how far a drone can fly and how quickly data can get back to the team on the ground. Utilizing 5G, it doesn’t matter how far away our drones are, we’re still able to get the data we need to quickly help customers make informed decisions.”
Thanks to a special waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration allowing for BVLOS operations, the mission further proves Valmont’s capabilities in long-range BVLOS operations and highlights the company’s ability to outperform traditional inspection methods like helicopter flyovers, ultimately saving customers money and time while emitting a small fraction of the carbon emissions due to fuel efficiency, improved operational safety and higher quality of content captured.
Valmont UAS Drone Services partners with utilities throughout the U.S. for quick, safe inspections offering quality, real-time insights. Our work with drones is improving lives by reducing safety risks and cutting the financial and environmental costs of on-the-ground inspections. Whenever needed, we remain ready to take to the skies to help ensure the stability of vital infrastructure around the world.
Learn more about what we do at
www.valmontaerialsolutions.com