Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.
Issue link: https://insideunmanned.epubxp.com/i/643419
24 unmanned systems inside January/February 2016 AIR UTILITIES a test protocol for them to go through to show they can operate in an electric environment." For Vukojevic, the biggest challenge is mak- ing the business case for UAS, in part because the technology is so new to the industry. That's why they're working through various use cases, he said, to see where the biggest interest is and where UAS can improve on safety, efficiency and costs. "It's not always more cost effective," Vukojevic told Inside Unmanned Systems. "The question is how much data can you get that you couldn't get before. Flying a UAS might be more ex- pensive than what we do today in some cases, but if we can use the system to get more ben- eficial data, maybe it makes sense to use this technology." Like with any new technology, it can take time for people to embrace change and work through internal operational barriers, said Dave Kroetsch, president and CEO of Aeryon Labs. The thought of operating a UAS also can be a bit intimidating, he said, which is why it's important for utilities to find a system like the SkyRanger that's easy to use and a service pro- vider that offers analysis of that data. "The power sector will be the biggest sector for drones," Byatt of ING Robotic Aviation said. "It's not there yet because of cultural and regula- tory reasons. It's a very conservative industry, which is a good thing. It's dangerous. This is not where you want people experimenting." Weather, battery life, terrain, working in remote locations and payload capabilities are among the other challenges to incorporat- ing this technology, but most everyone agrees there's one main barrier keeping UAS from be- coming a common staple in the utility industry: The FAA regulations. Specifically, the beyond line-of-sight restrictions. Like in many industries, this limits what utility companies can do with the technology. Once the beyond visual line-of-sight restriction is lifted, it will open up an entire new world of capabilities. The Future One of the biggest areas beyond line-of-sight operations can help with is power restoration after a storm, Eisenrauch said. The goal at Southern Company is to automate these inspec- tions and simply hit a button when they need to send a UAS to locate damage—showing crew members exactly where repairs are needed and what equipment to bring, saving them valuable time once they get on site. With information Dominion: 2016 Plans Dominion plans to continue using UAS as part of their main inspection program throughout 2016, and plans to continue its work with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership to participate in proof of concept testing for beyond line-of-sight applications. Photo courtesy of Dominion