Solutions for railways

Our drone solutions can be used to quickly map and inspect critical rail infrastructure.

Using precise maps, images and video, staff in the sector can gain a detailed picture of key elements of the rail networks, while optimising resources and maintaining safety.
Railways

Key benefits for railways

Managing rail network integrity

Undertaking frequent on-demand inspections to monitor the safety, reliability and integrity of the rail network and associated overhead line, improving performance and eliminating the risk of failure.

    • Overhead catenaries extend over long distances, which can be difficult to access and manual inspections can be time-consuming or even physically impossible.

    • Defects related to hazards at height – can be overlooked when observing only from the ground.

    Drones help manage rail network integrity

    • Drones can take off in minutes, covering large areas during each flight, effectively providing useful information.

    • Drones help identify threats to the integrity of elements of the rail network and electric traction and inform response actions, providing close-up data as well as comprehensive overviews.

  • Detailed inspection

    Thanks to drones, it is possible to obtain standardised data from automatic inspections that accurately identify faults.

    • The inspection staff must inspect and check all tower and traction components, which is very demanding and labour-intensive.

    • Traditional inspections are unable to produce structured, standardised data that can be used to automatically detect defects.

    Drones conduct detailed inspections

    • Automated flight paths can be precisely programmed to inspect high-altitude objects, creating detailed 3D point clouds without risk to operator safety.

    • The drones are easy to use, enabling inspection teams to obtain high-quality data with basic training, while standardising output and streamlining processes.

    • Inspection processes are closed, ensuring data integrity
  • Thermal inspection

    Obtaining real-time readings of asset temperature using drones equipped with thermal sensors to identify anomalies immediately.

    • Thermal inspection equipment on the ground cannot give insight into the condition of tall or inaccessible structures.

    • Thermal inspections with helicopters are too costly to be carried out on a mass scale and the long preparation time slows down rescue operations.

    Drones support thermal inspections

    • The drones can capture the subject from multiple angles and are easy to operate, ensuring that key details are not missed.

    • The drones are easy to use, take off in minutes and are not restricted by strict set-up requirements, allowing for a quick response.

    • Crews can get visual and real-time temperature readings on all parts of the asset to quickly identify and address problems.
  • Damage repairs

    Drones help to quickly capture the condition of a selected junction of the rail network, from multiple angles using specialised cameras to reveal any faults or defects and address them in a timely manner.

    • Serious faults often require immediate repair and manual inspections can cause repair delays that lead to losses.

    • Inspection staff must manually search for faults and may be limited by the availability of assets and available tools.

    Drones support fault resolution

    • Drones provide an aerial perspective that captures critical information regardless of the environment and surroundings, enabling teams to act quickly and minimise losses.

    • The drones are easy to operate, take off within minutes, can stay in the air for extended periods of time (the Prometheus H2 drone for up to more than 5 hours) and are not restricted by strict set-up requirements, allowing teams to accurately locate and repair any faults.
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