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From enhancing safety to optimizing operational efficiency, drones and robotics are reshaping traditional practices in the energy industry and opening up new horizons for exploration and production. 

Unless vertiports have the necessary electrical and digital infrastructure, they are unlikely to fulfil the promise of the new urban air mobility (UAM) revolution.

An NREL Study Shows That Grid Upgrades Are Needed for eVTOL Charging, But On-Site Generation and Storage Can Help

Red Bull and the Dutch Drone Gods UAV racing team have revolutionized the way we view Formula 1, capturing Max Verstappen's full-speed lap around the Silverstone Circuit with an advanced FPV drone. Capable of reaching speeds from 60 to 180 mph in less than 2 seconds was achieved through innovative design, a custom chassis and the use of cutting-edge motors and stabilizers.

In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with drone technology has ushered in a new era of innovation across diverse industries. This powerful combination is reshaping traditional practices and opening up new possibilities for sectors from energy and utilities to surveillance and weather forecasting and beyond.

A team of researchers led by Associate Professor Satoshi Suzuki from Chiba University recently announced that they had developed an innovative new low-cost UAV designed for powerline inspection.

Drones have been used for many years post-construction of renewable energy projects such as solar and wind farms for inspection purposes. The use of a drone-based camera setup with either a thermal, multispectral or visible light spectrum sensor is an affordable, safe and fairly quick operation. But drones are becoming increasingly competitive in the pre-construction phases too.

Four years after its launch, Skydio 2's follow-and-film capability and autonomous cinematography features like KeyFrame are still in a class all on their own.

The aircraft fuel cells market is projected to reach USD 5.7 billion by 2035, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2035. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including the increasing adoption of sustainable aviation practices, rising costs of conventional aviation fuels, and advancements in aircraft fuel-cell technologies.

In a conversation with Avionics International, Josh Teigen, the Department of Commerce Commissioner for North Dakota, and Frank Matus, Director of Digital Aviation Solutions for Thales Group, talked about how the state is enabling innovations in drone technology.

If you work in the drone industry, you probably know what a "commercial" drone is. It's a drone used for business, a drone used to make money.

Oklahoma aerospace engineers told members of a U.S. House high tech committee that they are using drone technology and advanced air mobility to leverage aerospace programs within the state's Native American tribes.

Skydweller Aero Inc., an aerospace company developing solar-powered aircraft for defense and commercial industries, today announced the successful completion of its first autonomous flight test demonstrations utilizing the company's new proprietary fly-by-wire (FBW) actuation control system.

The first petrol stations as we know them appeared in the 1920s - more than a decade after cars had already become a mainstay in America's burgeoning urban centers. Petrol stations and sprawling, well-paved road networks enabled longer, safer, and more reliable trips, unlocking the potential of the car.
Today, we're in a similar situation regarding drones.

From scientific research, firefighting and rainmaking to energy-saving airborne deliveries, more sustainable agriculture and renewable energy, unmanned systems are enabling the shift to a green economy.

Flyability's Elios 3 has successfully completed a 3D mapping operation of a radioactive waste storage vault following more than a year of preparation and research. The information obtained in the mapping project will prove crucial to planning the vault's removal. This is thought to be the first time a drone has been deployed to enter a high-level radioactive waste storage vault.

If you think you can model eVTOL aircraft charging based on the same systems used for electric cars, think again.
That is the message from Josh Portlock, the CTO of Electro, an Australia-based company that manufactures electric aircraft charging products. Portlock delivered his pitch at the recent Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST) conference.

The Matrice DJI M30T is the latest addition to the fleet but is already pulling its weight for clients who want to get to grips with sky-high energy costs.

Travelers know how hard it can be to find a plug at the airport to charge a phone or laptop. Now airlines are facing a similar challenge as they electrify their ground and air operations.

Tulsa Innovation Labs (TIL) began with a mission to build a tech hub that leverages Tulsa's strengths and to create inclusive opportunities in tech and sticky, long-term, high-wage jobs in the region. In a new initiative, TIL hopes to attract energy tech startups to the region with a $50 million fund that will offer early-stage capital, access to office space and custom startup support services, and a program to pilot new technologies with regional energy leaders.

SoCalGas' zero-emission initiatives are including Doosan Mobility Innovation's hydrogen fuel cell-powered drones.

Today, leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider Percepto revealed that it has successfully concluded a proof-of-concept (POC) for the observation of a 250 acre floating solar farm alongside the Electric Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).

Mapping drone manufacturer Event 38 Unmanned Systems completed a successful demo flight of a drone powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, at the Kent State University airport. The flight was the culmination of a multi-year project, initiated in 2020 with sponsorship by the Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN), a program managed by Parallax Advanced Research. Event 38 partnered with experts at Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Dayton, and Wright State University to investigate the potential of fuel cells as a power source for drones.

At the keynote address this morning in Orlando, Florida Power and Light and Percepto, the Israeli-based autonomous drone platform, took the stage to talk about the work that they are doing in Florida.
Florida Power and Light and Percepto are a partnership that is breaking new ground in the use of autonomous drone technology in the power industry.  FPL uses Percepto's drones for disaster recovery, line maintenance, and more.  This morning, Eric Schwartz from FPL, manager of the FPL Flight division, joined Percepto Chief Commercial Officer Ariel Avitan to talk about how they do it and what comes next.

Billions of dollars are finding their way into the numerous startup companies that are now jamming the personal aircraft, air taxis or emergency flight for first responders markets. NASA, to my amazement, is working to take this industry to the next level. They are working with the most prospective products with industry leaders and merging that with public acceptance, which is a major paradigm shift.

The exploration of airborne transportation and advanced air mobility (AAM) is the focus of a new partnership between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Supernal—an advanced air mobility company from Hyundai Motor Group (earlier post). Supernal is developing electric, autonomous air vehicles capable of accommodating four to five passengers with the intent to launch commercial flights as early as 2028.

Portland-based Global Energy Transmission has demonstrated fast wireless charging for drones that gives delivery, inspection, or surveillance drones essentially unlimited range.

Researchers at University of Illinois at Chicago, through a partnership with the U.S. Army, are developing a new power supply system that will allow drones to recharge wirelessly from vehicles on the ground.

The UK government has agreed to invest in the development of a Drone Port at Montrose in Scotland, which is expected to benefit the emerging offshore wind developments and create a regulated testing area to attract companies from across the UK.

A Washington State University research team for the first time has successfully demonstrated the use of liquid hydrogen and a unique refueling system for powering Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

At the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory, researchers developed a novel sensor and software application to detect and avoid energized power lines in the vicinity of unmanned aerial system, or UAS.

Whether it's for examining high-voltage power lines and natural gas pipelines, or seeding and spraying crops in a field, drones are getting a lot of attention, in Iowa and elsewhere.

As industry and society in general come back on line after months of interruption due to the threat of COVID- 19, Garrett Scott, UAS coordinator for Duke Energy, said he believes "a lot of the things we're seeing right now, whether because of social distancing or the financial [aspect], are going to be around for quite a while after we move out of this mandated period."

Xcel Energy has announced an initiative to deploy multiple UAS to inspect and photograph utility lines in its Chaffee County CO service area.

With the help of NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, Swift Engineering of San Clemente, California, completed a two-hour flight test of their Swift High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) UAS. The applications of the technology – for science, agriculture, and disaster response – could have a real impact on our everyday live

There may not be many pure-play drone stocks at the moment but the list is growing. There are other promising investment opportunities to consider. Here are seven drone stocks to watch.

As the world navigates a host of unprecedented challenges brought on by the coronavirus outbreak, we must look to new and innovative technologies for solutions. Drones must be part of the new normal post-pandemic.

One solution for reducing time and costs associated with visually inspecting individual wind turbine sites prior to development is to use an unmanned aerial vehicle when conducting the in-person field review.

As utilities respond to customers' expectation of network uptime, in the face of worsening natural disasters, they're investing in their power grids. By deploying remote sensors on drones, utilities are accelerating, automating, and amplifying their load analysis in a way that improves uptime.

The George Kaiser Family Foundation launched a new technology-led economic and workforce development organization to support Tulsa as an emerging tech hub.

The power industry was an early adopter of drone technology, but in this insider piece Andre Louis-Ferdinand says that the sector continues to find new applications and new uses for drones – especially in these challenging times.

In this recent op-ed by SkySkopes president and CEO Matt Dunlevy notes we need to remind ourselves during theses unprecedented times of the silver linings: society is going to pull through this mess and we have things to look forward to; one of them is with unmanned aircraft systems.

As part of its Wildfire Mitigation Plan, Southern California Edison will use drones over parts of the High Desert to inspect power equipment.

As the coronavirus lockdown stretches on with no certain end in sight, remote technologies, virtual services, and business delivery systems using drones that promote social distancing while sustaining some level of economic activity are experiencing an unsurprising boom.

Drones have been used in the power industry for a few years now, but in the U.S., power line stringing is a relatively new application.

Drone inspections play a vital role in preventive maintenance of vertical structures, ships, worksites and horizontal infrastructure like railroad tracks and power lines. Therefore, connected drones are the next phase of this technology.

Beyond their surveillance capabilities, drones can support inspection and asset management inside the manufacturing plant.

Unmanned vehicle control expert Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems and Canadian UAVs, a Calgary, Alberta-based military-grade unmanned aviation services company, recently signed a memorandum of understanding to build a solution that could enable BVLOS unmanned operations in Canada and beyond. 

US-based drone technology provider PrecisionHawk has raised $32m in Series E funding round from venture investors.

Officials from Kansas electric-utility company Evergy Inc. presented a study session to the Kansas Corporation Commission on how their unmanned aircraft system program is making utility work safer and more efficient.