A new three-way partnership is set to bring drone-based water intelligence services to agricultural, infrastructure, and environmental professionals across the U.S. West Coast and Canada.

Quantum Solutions, a UK-based imaging technology company, announced this week a strategic partnership with Delmar Aerospace Corporation and its Canadian subsidiary, Perspectum Drone Inspection Services Ltd., to deploy its Q.Fly Water system across North American markets.

The system uses quantum-dot short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging to compute the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) in real time from a drone-mounted payload. NDMI is the same index used by satellites to measure water availability in vegetation and soil, though Quantum Solutions says that satellite-derived data is constrained by “fixed orbitals, cloud interference, and a 20m resolution floor.” The drone-based system delivers the same measurement at resolutions down to 2 centimeters per pixel, which they say bridges “the gap between coarse satellite imagery and single-point ground sensors.”

Under the partnership, Delmar and Perspectum will deploy Q.Fly Water to deliver end-to-end moisture intelligence services, covering drone data capture, analysis, and actionable reporting. Use cases span precision irrigation, pipeline leak detection, wetland delineation, and infrastructure inspection.

"We believe some of the world's most valuable data lies beyond the visible spectrum. As water scarcity intensifies, actionable water intelligence has never been more critical," said Marat Lutfullin, CEO of Quantum Solutions. "Partnering with Delmar Aerospace and Perspectum and leveraging their expertise in unmanned inspection helps us service a growing demand for Q.Fly Water across the US and Canadian markets."

Chris Sculley, Vice President of Business Development at Delmar Aerospace and President of Perspectum, said the collaboration adds meaningful sensing capability to the companies' existing inspection and environmental monitoring services. "By combining Quantum Solutions' technology with our operational experience, we can deliver actionable insights for customers across both the United States and Canada."

The companies also plan to expand the partnership to include Quantum Solutions' Q.Fly Solar platform, “expanding aerial electroluminescence inspection services for utility-scale solar installations across the United States and Canada.”

Source: Quantum Solutions