First-of-its-kind FAA permission enables unmanned drone-in-a-box operations 200 feet above ground level without a pilot or visual observer on site.
AUSTIN, TX, January 6, 2023 – Percepto, the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has allowed operators to use Percepto’s drone-in-a-box solution to perform highly automated Beyond Visual Line of Sight (HA BVLOS) inspection and monitoring operations at a large Texas solar power plant. The drone operations are approved for up to 200 feet above ground level, double the altitude of any previously approved HA BVLOS drone operation in the U.S. This uniquely high altitude will enable greater operational flexibility to monitor larger areas and taller structures, including mapping and modeling use cases.
Without a pilot or visual observer on site, Percepto’s advanced technology enables an automated detect and avoid (DAA) cycle. This eliminates the need for remote pilot in command intervention if other aircraft are detected within the airspace. This automatic airspace deconfliction capability paves the way for centrally controlled drone-in-a-box fleets of multiple sites in the future.
“Gaining this approval marks a significant milestone to provide remote and autonomous inspections at industrial sites, fulfilling Percepto’s mission to provide safe and reliable critical infrastructure,” said Percepto Policy & Government Affairs VP Neta Gliksman. “We are grateful to the FAA for their diligence in reviewing Percepto’s safety case, and we look forward to continue to support the critical infrastructure community across the U.S.”
The solar power plant deployment for which this approval was provided serves as a model for many other industries, including oil & gas, mining and utilities, to increase site efficiency through automated remote inspection operations. Percepto’s automated drone-in-a-box technology has been deployed by many of these industries to streamline preventive maintenance, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.
About Percepto
Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.
Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.
Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. For more information, visit www.percepto.co.
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