Ann Arbor, MI – February 28, 2017: Siemens is collaborating with US-based company SkySpecs to deploy automated drone technology for onshore and offshore wind turbine inspections. The goal of the collaboration is to develop a push-button inspection system that is faster, repeatable and more efficient than existing methods. Siemens is involving its Wind Power business and its next47 venture unit, which was established in October 2016, to accelerate the development of new technologies. SkySpecs was founded in 2012 and is the first company to successfully demonstrate fully autonomous wind turbine inspections.
Smaller and more powerful computing platforms and sensors, better battery technology, and vastly improved algorithms for managing flight and safety have transformed drones from a niche hobby into a global reality over the last three to five years. Drones have become essential tools for businesses spanning every industry, from delivery to industrial inspection. Where they have historically required a professional pilot, the latest-generation drones are flying with increasing autonomy. High-precision applications such as wind turbine blade inspection have unique requirements both in terms of user input and navigation techniques.
SkySpecs combines deep expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence and machine-based analytics to advance industrial drone inspections. Using proprietary software and best-in-class, off-the-shelf hardware, the company’s goal is to provide an end-to-end solution that includes data collection, damage identification, classification and recommendations. SkySpecs’ technology solves one of the top challenges that industrial asset owners and service providers face: generating timely, precise and easy-to-consume inspection data while simultaneously minimizing down-time and personnel-related expenses.
