South32 first to launch Airobotics automated drones in Australia
Airobotics‘ fully automated, industrial grade multi-purpose drone platform will soon be deployed for the first time at an Australian resources operation.
The Airobotics platform will conduct programmed missions including inspecting equipment and conducting surveying and mapping at South32’s Worsley Alumina operations.
Airobotics Co-founder and CEO Ran Krauss said: “The launch of Airobotics’ automated drone platform marks an important milestone, being one of the first deployments for Airobotics in Australia.”
The Airobotics platform will be used by South32 to capture data and insights across the Worsley Alumina operations in a 3D digital environment, enabling future improvements.
The Airobotics platform is the first of its kind in the global market. The industrial grade platform comprises a high capacity drone, an automated base station and cloud based software. It is fully automatic, unmanned, and doesn’t require a pilot for operation.
The drone automatically launches from a freestanding base station called the Airbase, and is sent on a pre-programmed or on-demand mission to collect aerial data, such as inspecting equipment or machinery, surveying and mapping stockpiles, or monitoring for emergencies or security breaches.
Once a mission is complete the drone returns to the Airbase, where a robotic arm replaces its battery and payload before deploying the next mission.
Airobotics is in the process of obtaining a CASA ReOC (Remote Operator’s Certificate) and already has an FAA waiver authorization under Part 107 in the US, as well as a commercial license from CAAI in Israel.
About Airobotics
Airobotics has developed an unmanned drone solution, the first of its kind in the global market.
Airobotics provides an end-to-end, fully automatic solution, which does not require a human operator, for collecting aerial data and gaining invaluable insights. The industrial grade platform is available on-site and on-demand, enabling industrial facilities to access premium aerial data in a faster, safer, more efficient way.
The team at Airobotics fuses expertise in aerospace hardware design, robust electronic systems, leading software engineering, and years of experience in commercial drone operations. This varied experience has allowed them to design a solution suited to address the needs of the world’s most complex industrial environments.
The Airobotics platform is made up of three parts: Optimus, a large, high capacity drone capable of flying 30-minute missions while carrying a one-kilogram mission specific payload, the Airbase, a completely automated base station from which the Optimus drone launches and lands on its own, without any human intervention, and the Software, which is cloud-based, enabling users to control and manage missions with one click. The system’s swappable payload mechanism, together with its Software, positions Optimus as a multi-tool drone capable of carrying various sensors and payloads.
