Phase One Industrial and Aerial Technology International (ATI) have developed a powerful professional aerial inspection tool that could help revolutionize the way commercial and industrial structural visual inspections are done. An integrated ATI drone and high-resolution Phase One camera solution enables unprecedented visual accuracy while reducing costs and improving human safety.   

The companies' collaboration began with a project to inspect wind turbines. The ATI Thor X4 octocopter, and Phase One Industrial's iXU 150, the world's smallest high-resolution industrial-quality medium format camera, performed a data acquisition experiment that was the first of its kind. And the results were extraordinary: wind turbines were imaged to an unparalleled millimetre per pixel accuracy -- allowing operators to inspect individual blade surfaces in exquisite detail, identifying the subtlest cracks or imperfections.

Since then, the Thor X4 has demonstrated that UAV inspection for wind turbine inspections can be safer, cheaper and faster than sending climbers up to inspect blades or removing the blade for inspection on the ground. And today, the companies are building on their combined expertise to offer an integrated solution designed to customer specifications.

"This solution will be attractive to businesses involved in building and maintaining large scale infrastructures, such as cell towers, bridges, and buildings," said Stephen Burtt, CEO, ATI. "It is designed save costs through a more efficient inspection process, enabling timely repairs."

"Previously, drone inspection capabilities have been limited by not having enough precise pixel level detail, while still maintaining continuous high rate imagery collection and all in a highly robust and reliable hardware," said Dana Brown, North American Sales Manager, Phase One Industrial. "We are in the midst of an industry paradigm shift, one that will provide more accurate assessments of a range of structures, reducing the cost in man-hours of dangerous hands-on inspection."  

Aerial Technology International | www.aerialtechnology.com/phase-one