COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION: THE DRONE INFRASTRUCTURE INSPECTION ACT

Recently, the House passed the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Act, which would allocate $200 million for the purpose of facilitating a transition to using new drone technology to replace humans in dangerous infrastructure inspections. The program will provide grants for infrastructure inspections that employ drones to either replace or enhance existing processes, as well as provide the necessary resources for education and workforce training.

While drone inspections can feature additional data capture such as detecting dangerous gasses or radiation, the primary deliverable is the visual data that is captured on each mission. Inspecting these assets manually often requires placing personnel (the inspector) at risk. With today’s drone technology, these risks are no longer necessary. It makes much more sense to capture visual data using an unmanned aircraft which can then be reviewed by engineers on the ground, safely, at their own convenience.

A MODERN EXAMPLE

Government agencies are still renting boom lifts and hydra platforms to access and inspect the underside of bridges.

Traditional Inspection Method

Besides the obvious safety risks, these procedures also require lane closures on the bridge which increases risk to drivers and can cause delays.

Alternatively, a drone inspection requires no lane closures, no risk of human injury, and can allow for closer access to points of interest than traditional methods. Inspecting infrastructure using drones can also significantly reduce the cost of inspections, as this expensive equipment is no longer necessary.

Drone Inspection Method

WHAT’S NEXT?

While the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Act is a great first step, it only applies to government entities and infrastructure. There are countless use-cases in private industry that would also greatly benefit from a transition to a drone-based process. These include nuclear power plants, mines, clearwells, grain silos, industrial tanks, chimneys, the list goes on. Keep your personnel safe and use a UAV to perform your high-risk inspections.

CSDI Group strongly supports the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Act as an important first step in the transition to safer, quicker, and less costly inspections.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

CSDI Group is well-equipped to help you further understand the untapped potential of drones in complicated inspection scenarios.

Want to explore drone inspections for your infrastructure? Contact us today for expert advice and solutions!