Unleash Live has teamed up with Optus, Amazon Web Services and electricity provider Endeavour Energy in a technology trial it is hoped will convince aviation authorities to relax laws limiting the ways drones can be used to monitor critical infrastructure.
The Sydney-based start-up, which recently scored an $8 million investment from SafetyCulture, will use its AI-based video-recognition platform to identify damage to Endeavour Energy’s power lines in real time, using machine learning (ML) to analyze high-resolution videos shot by drones flying above and around the powerlines.
CASA rules require trained drone pilots stay within line of sight of any drones, preventing their automated use in patrolling infrastructure like power lines.
Scott Ryan, chief assets & operating officer at Endeavour Energy, said Unleash Live’s ML system will be used to identify problems such as cracked insulators, loose tie wires or missing parts on the power poles: problems that could lead to outages or even bushfires if they are not found and fixed quickly.
Ultra High-Definition videos shot by the drones will be live-streamed over Optus’ 5G network, back to Unleash Live’s ML system, which is hosted on Amazon Web Services.
The year-long trial is backed by a $648,000 grant from the federal government, as part of the government’s “5G Innovation Initiative” that is designed to generate demand for 5G networks in industry sectors including agriculture, mining, construction and manufacturing.
Continue reading: https://www.afr.com/technology/will-drones-be-allowed-to-monitor-critical-infrastructure-20210919-p58t19
The Sydney-based start-up, which recently scored an $8 million investment from SafetyCulture, will use its AI-based video-recognition platform to identify damage to Endeavour Energy’s power lines in real time, using machine learning (ML) to analyze high-resolution videos shot by drones flying above and around the powerlines.
CASA rules require trained drone pilots stay within line of sight of any drones, preventing their automated use in patrolling infrastructure like power lines.
Scott Ryan, chief assets & operating officer at Endeavour Energy, said Unleash Live’s ML system will be used to identify problems such as cracked insulators, loose tie wires or missing parts on the power poles: problems that could lead to outages or even bushfires if they are not found and fixed quickly.
Ultra High-Definition videos shot by the drones will be live-streamed over Optus’ 5G network, back to Unleash Live’s ML system, which is hosted on Amazon Web Services.
The year-long trial is backed by a $648,000 grant from the federal government, as part of the government’s “5G Innovation Initiative” that is designed to generate demand for 5G networks in industry sectors including agriculture, mining, construction and manufacturing.
Continue reading: https://www.afr.com/technology/will-drones-be-allowed-to-monitor-critical-infrastructure-20210919-p58t19
