SwissDrones announced that it has entered into a partnership with US-based energy company, Southern Company. In a statement, SwissDrones said that the deployment of its SDO 50 drone is central to the agreement.

The SDO 50, Swiss Drones said, is “a state-of-the-art unmanned helicopter and one of the first unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the category beyond 55 lbs to be approved in over 30 countries to fly long-range beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions.” Swiss Drones asserted that the SDO 50’s “vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability along with heavy payload capacity offers a highly cost-effective alternative to a manned aircraft. It’s also a more sustainable solution, reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 95%.”

Remarking on the agreement, Ulrich Amberg, CEO of SwissDrones, said, “Energy companies are dealing with a host of difficult circumstances when it comes to maintaining their critical infrastructure. From an increase in extreme weather events to cumbersome inspection practices, companies need new, innovative solutions. Teaming up with Southern Company will enable more efficient aerial surveillance and inspection to navigate those challenges.”

“Partnering with SwissDrones empowers us to bring innovation to aerial inspection and infrastructure maintenance,” said Dean Barefield, UAS program manager at Southern Company. “As our first deployment of a large unmanned aerial system (UAS), the SDO 50 will expand our operational reach, allowing us to cover greater distances across our power lines in the Southeast and across our natural gas infrastructure throughout our broader service territory.  This technology enhances our ability to gather high-quality data for both electric and gas operations, ultimately helping us better serve all of our customers.”

Source: Swiss Drones