Top Ten of the most popular drones used by UAV Service Provider / Drones for inspection
UAV’s sUAS, RPAS, UAS or Drones whichever terminology you use whether consumer or enterprise they all mean the same thing. However, if you are an enterprise user and use industrial inspection drone technology or specialise in industrial inspection drone services which machine do you choose and why? This blog aims to shed some light on the difficult subject. The top ten drones for industry are listed below.
There are hundreds of industrial inspection drone choices across several different countries and it can be a daunting task to try and pick the best industrial inspection drone technology for your company, the machine you choose as your preferred industrial inspection drone technology is part of your brand and no matter what the blue-chip companies or market leaders you are aiming for will judge you on your equipment choice. It’s no good approaching the asset manager of a petro-chemical site with a Phantom 3 Advanced, stating that you specialise in industrial inspection or any kind or industrial drone solutions for that matter, as there is a strong possibility that you will be laughed back out of the gate.
The industry is expanding at a phenomenal rate with industrial drone inspection technology on the increase and the UAV Manufacturing Leaders competing with each other at such an astronomical pace the market is said to be worth $127 billion dollars by 2020. Exciting times for those that are already involved within the market. Drones for inspection are increasingly developing, who knows what is around the corner.
There is certainly no right or wrong answer with regards to the industrial drone inspection technology you are going utilise within your company, but careful consideration should be given, with plenty of thought towards the end user and what they expect from you as their preferred UAV service provider.
Many individuals are now racing to the shops to purchase their equipment in an attempt to make a quick quid or two and unfortunately, it is not straightforward as that and there are several other facts to consider prior to diving in at the deep end and spending a couple of thousand dollars / pounds on a drone that may well be an unrealistic machine to start out with.
If you are aiming for industrial drone inspection or asset integrity inspection then the UAV you choose not only needs to look the part but you also require it to convince the on-site management that it is fit for purpose with several safety redundancies. These guys are generally engineers with lengthy careers in their own industry. You can not hope for the best and turn up to carry out a flare stack survey with a Mavic. Again you will be laughed out of the gate.
You are required to be the expert in your field, you need to show these guy’s why that is and prove that your ahead of the game with not only your knowledge and experience but also equipment reliability. They need to understand that your industrial UAV technology is not going to fall to bits scattering debris across their live petrochemical or gas plant. It also helps if you have a background within the industry you are aiming your industrial services towards.
The client does not want to have to explain things in laymen’s terminology so you need to have a degree of industrial or site knowledge. They will expect to be able to leave you without the requirement for babysitting with the confidence that you can carry out the task and provide them with a report schedule based on your findings but most importantly they will need you to be able to identify any problems that are apparent in the equipment you are carrying out a survey on.
So with that in mind, we have created a list of the top ten industrial drone technology that are commonly used by UAV service providers that help execute the client’s visual inspection routines, but please take into consideration these machines act as a tool to carry out the inspection you are still required to interpret that data and provide a report based on your findings. See below the top ten drones for inspection purposes.
Asctec Falcon 8
The Asctec Falcon 8 is the original go-to choice for most of the big players in the UAV Inspection industry. Including Cyberhawk, Skyfutures, and Texodrone. It’s lightweight frame and payload options alongside its 8 rotors and ability to perform well in low GPS conditions are the reason this Industrial UAV technology is still a preferred option for many. However, its limited battery power is its downfall.
Intel Falcon 8 +
Exactly the same kind of industrial drone as its older brother with a few differences, smart batteries so no further requirement for balancing, it is also weatherproof unlike it’s older brother.
DJI Matrice 600
DJI’s M600 series is the long performing modular hexacopter. The beauty of the M600 is its multiple redundancies paired with the possible payload configurations where basically anything can be mounted within reason. The downside to the M600 is its weight and power requirements combined with its vulnerable electronics.
DJI Matrice 200
This industrial UAV although only a quadcopter is more than capable of competing with its contemporaries and generally wins. We are probably slightly Bias as we own one but for good reason. The M210 RTK is the higher priced of the M200 series but all 4 are great for asset integrity inspection with the option to mount both thermal, standard and long-range RGB cameras to the machine. With options to mount either camera to the upper portion og the Industrial UAV. to allow for better inspection of an overhanging structure such as bridges or piperacks.
Acecore Neo
The Acecore NEO is possibly the Rolls Royce of the UAV world. Although not generally used for aerial industrial inspection and more along the lines of aerial film production, recently used on the set of Game of Thrones, the capabilities are there alongside its payload capabilities and slick airframe and should well be considered as a potential top ten competitor.
Sensefly Ebee
The Sensefly Ebee is a fixed-wing machine designed around mapping and spatial analysis professionals, due to its capability in some models of up to 55minute flight times. These machines are preferred amongst companies that have an interest and operate with BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) Covering as much ground as possible in a short space of time.
Flyability Elios
The Flyability Elios is a UAV developed around confined space inspection with its own crash frame allowing the user to perform close inspection inside tanks, boilers, under bridges etc. Whilst getting in close to critical areas and colliding with the surroundings without causing catastrophic failure of the machine. It also has the capability to carry out a thermographic survey using its onboard thermal camera.
Wingtra One
The Wingtra One is an RPAS developed around VTOL (Vertical Take of and Landing) and bridges the gap between multirotor and fixed-wing UAV’s allowing the fixed-wing UAV to take off from a landing pad but at the same time operate like a fixed-wing machine. With its 55minute flight times and its ground cover capability, this UAV is suited to spatial analysis and mapping professionals.
DJI Argas MG-1
DJI Argas MG-1 is a UAV that is specifically developed around the agricultural sector. The MG-1 is an octocopter designed for precision variable rate application of liquid pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides, bringing new levels of efficiency and manageability to the agricultural sector. The machine is becoming extremely popular in the south-east Asia area where targeted crop fertilising is tantamount to lean productions. Traditional methods of blanket fertilising create huge waste which in a hugely competitive industry is an area that benefits greatly from cost savings.
Freefly Alta 8
The Freefly Alta 8 is a high-end machine developed around the professional videographer but as with the NEO, it has the capability to carry several payloads, in essence, a modular UAV, very flexible in its useability, fairly highly priced but firmly positioned amongst the drones for inspection list.
We have had a few requests to include some of the lesser priced RPAS that are also heavily involved within the commercial sector. Carrying out both inspection and survey. Please see below our top 5 entry level sUAS.
DJI Inspire 1 Pro
The DJI Inspire 1 Pro is the original workhorse from DJI, again we are a little bias as we own 1 which we use as a back up on jobs requiring thermography. It’s a fantastic tool developed originally around the videographer however with its thermal and FPV functionality. It is the preferred choice for many commercial operators as an entry-level machine. Its downfall is the lack of safety redundancies. But is well versed where drones for inspection purposes are concerned.
DJI Matrice 100
The DJI Matrice 100 Series is again modular in design with the capability to allow multiple payload attachments developed around the enterprise user. It’s downfalls again being no protection of it’s components to the outside elements and lack of safety redundancies however its a strong contender for the drones for inspection class.
Yuneec H520
The Yuneec H520 is a serious contender and probably in direct competition with DJI. With its multiple payload options and multi-rotor configurations the H520 deserves a place on this drones for inspection list. Again ideally suited to the inspection and survey industry with the ability to capture both RGB and Thermal
DJI Phantom 4 Pro
The Phantom 4 Pro is again an unrivaled quad with its 4k video and high res image capture capabilities the results attained are amazing. The unit is well suited towards 3D imaging and Topo survey professionals due to its durability and portability in the field. It’s only let down is it’s looks towards being suited to the general consumer.
DJI Mavic Pro
The DJI Mavic Pro is again a pocket contender with its slick design and sensor capabilities consumer and professional drone pilots alike are using this UAV to capture high-quality data for roof inspections and general RGB survey’s. We don’t necessarily class it amongst the typical drones for inspection remit and you probably wouldn’t look too professional turning up on site and taking one from your pocket but it is very capable none the less.
To view a review on the Mavic Air click hereSo that DJM Aerial Solutions view on the most popular RPAS used in our industry around inspection and survey. If you would like any advice on drones for inspection or survey requirements or even if you have an interest in what we are doing. Please do give us a call we’d be happy to speak with you +44 (0) 1642 903779.
Inspection and Survey
If you would like to speak to us about any North East drone services or thermal services or arrange a building envelope thermal survey then please either get in touch via this link to our contact page Or Call us on +44 (0) 1642 903779 We’d be more than happy to speak to you and go through the process.