Percepto, a leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, announced that Transport Canada has approved Ontario Power Generation Inc (OPG) to operate Percepto’s drone-in-a-box solution.
BVLOS capability enhances inspections
The solution will allow Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) at McConnell Lake Control Dam without a visual observer on sight, a first in Canada. A BVLOS Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) has been issued for the Percepto Air Max autonomous drone-in-a-box, as provided by Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems and their GM Kevin Toderal, to execute remote inspections in a pilot project beginning this month.
The OPG facility will benefit from remote, high-frequency visual inspection with actionable insights with the potential to centrally control drone-in-a-box fleets at numerous sites. The announcement was made after Percepto achieved a U.S. nationwide BVLOS waiver, empowering qualified Percepto customers to immediately gain actionable insights from remotely operated drones. This drone-in-a-box technology has been deployed to monitor the durability of power grid infrastructure and quickly detect problems, allowing for faster response times and restoring power quickly after storms and other disasters.
“Obtaining this certificate marks a significant milestone in Canada to provide remote and autonomous inspections at power generating facilities, fulfilling Percepto’s mission to provide safe and reliable critical infrastructure,” says Neta Gliksman, Percepto Policy & Government Affairs VP. “We look forward to growing our strong working relationship with Transport Canada and supporting their efforts to create a thriving environment for drone operations by making autonomous drone technology available to power stations and other critical infrastructure across the country.”
Canada power utility organizations are looking to ensure their power grid and stations are as resilient as possible. Percepto operations will be on a single platform through the company’s Autonomous Inspection and Monitoring (AIM) solution. Utilizing Percepto AIN, drones can be operated remotely to ensure they sync and work together. This will provide maximum site coverage and increased safety, efficiency, and ease of operation.
“We look forward to gaining new operation and infrastructure insights at McConnell Lake Control Dam,” says Ontario Power Generation Senior Information System Specialist Tim Trebilcock. “Our hope is that this technology will help our efforts to ensure asset integrity and reliable electricity generation for Ontarians.”
