Today unmanned aerial vehicle – UAV or drones, as they are often referred to, are used by people all over the world for the purpose of asset inspection by quite a few utilities. Assets need to operate effectively and for this, they need regular maintenance and upkeep. This is actually a proactive and risk based approach which is usually targeted to specific needs of users.  Businesses need to understand the current condition of assets which is possible only when proper inspections are carried out.

As the use of drones started to increase, users started to feel the many advantages of using the drones over traditional methods of inspection. Today, drones are an integral part of several businesses for asset inspection services.

Why Drone Asset Inspection Is Important?        

Throughout Australia and across different parts of the world, various kinds of utilities are known to own as well as maintain a variety of infrastructure. Drone inspection services are necessary for safety and to prevent faults, various service interruptions, along with damage and accidents. Assets are required to be inspected regularly so that any issues or defects are detected as quickly as possible. This is extremely important in this age where there is a lot of dependence on infrastructure.

Inspection of assets manually is not just costly but also quite time consuming. It is actually a huge part of the operating costs of any asset every year. In several cases, manual inspection is said to be quite dangerous, where the terrain is not humanly navigable or there are other risks. With the development of unmanned vehicles and increased use of drones, asset inspection has become affordable. The entire process is now streamlined and inspections are no longer an expensive affair.

What Drones Can Inspect?

Asset inspection services by drones include a number of difficult to reach and access areas. Drones play an important role in inspecting different structures, no matter where they are located: Drones can inspect

• Bridges and Roofs
• Mobile Towers
• Solar Panels
• Flare Stack

Drone inspection helps in detecting faults in different structures and helps in timely identification and location of different abnormalities. This includes detection of –

• Cracks
• Chipping
• Degradation of surface
• Weed encroachment
• Shifting

And many more.

Drones can be operated in many environments effectively. Organizations using drone technology for asset inspection do not have to spend a lot of time in calculating and planning when an inspection is carried out in a new environment. A building site which needs to be inspected closely can be inspected using a drone, before any human visits the site location. Once drone inspection is carried out, people can actually be aware in advance about the many dangers of the terrain and the structural weakness of a building.

Drones help in preparation of reports and in detailed analysis. They help in offering a detailed overview of the assets and help by offering a constructive feedback to the owners. They provide information about the needs of repair, maintenance or update on the risks involved. Images and videos captured with drones help in identifying various repairs which help in issuing warnings about risks and dangers involved.

Benefits Of Using Drones For Inspections:

Drones are used not just by real estate but by other entities for their various needs, which includes sales, promotion, business expansion and brand image building. Images and videos captured by drones are of the highest quality and are often used in preparation of advertising material and brochure. There are many benefits of using drones for the purpose of inspections, some of which are listed below:

• Get In Depth Data:
  Drones help with real estate and industrial inspections by collecting in-depth data for research and analysis without any safety risk. Industrial inspections in the traditional way involve a lot of risks mainly due to dangers of mechanical and electrical equipment and structure. The height of structures has been often a concern in traditional methods of assets inspection. Businesses now have the opportunity of reducing risks of contractor or employee injury with the use of drones in asset inspections.
• No Fear of Downtime and Equipment Problems:
  A lot is dependent on the structure, its nature and height which need to be inspected. At times, using traditional methods of inspection fails because the devices need to be switched off, due to fear of personal damage or damage to the equipment. In case of drones, the downtime is significantly reduced, as the device doesn’t need to be turned off. Drones are able to capture images and videos continuously for a set duration of time, which helps businesses and organizations with uninterrupted footage which can be later used.
• Saves Time:
  Humans often find it difficult to carry out inspections in rough and hard terrains. It is not just expensive but a time consuming process too. Businesses often require images and videos to be captured in a short time. It is humanly not possible to do the job so quickly. Drones are capable of carrying out the job much quickly with modern updated cameras and software. Top quality professional photographs can be captured in a short time that too without any risks involved.
• Several Inspections In a Day:
  Drones can help in several inspections in a day. If you are using human inspectors, it wouldn’t be possible for you to take the individual to multiple locations in a day. However in case of drones, it is possible to have inspections of multiple nearby sites in a day. This includes inspections of a number of houses in a day.

Do you know that asset inspection using drones can be good for an environment also? Traditional methods are costly for businesses as well as the environment. Suppose there is a need for getting power lines inspection and primarily helicopters were used for the purpose. The use of helicopters was not just risky, but meant high fuel use and also the high emission level too. Drones help in reducing all such unnecessary output. With the use of drones there is reduced noise pollution, especially when they are flying over jungles or other natural habitats.