... to inspecting electricity pylons and ensuring the integrity of our electricity grids.
On Sunday, February 10, MFV Böblingen allowed us to use its airfield for a flight test near power lines.Â
These power lines are operated by Netze BW GmbH, an innovative power grid operator with whom we are exploring whether unmanned airships could be a viable alternative to inspecting its assets on foot, by helicopter, or with multirotor drones. Read their press release here.
Of course, our airship will still need to get a bit closer to the power poles to capture RGB images at the required resolution—allowing us to see details such as bolts, nuts, and isolators.
So, stay tuned for the next iteration!
A big thank you to Enpulse , the venture building arm of EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, for helping us and other startups accelerate Germany’s hashtag#Energiewende!
Key figures of the flight test that was fully automated from start to landing:
Max speed: 21.9 km/h
Average speed: 12 km/h
Distance: 1.14 km
Max altitude: 20 m
Max altitude NN: 479 m
Average wind speed: 6 km/h
Max wind speed: 13 km/h
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