To be absolutely precise, this drone detects damage using negative air pressure to cling directly to the inspection surface. So instead of using the traditional method of infrastructure inspection, which typically takes place while a drone is in mid-hover, this drone uses negative air pressure that allows it to self propel onto a surface, adhere itself to said surface, and inspect the structure for damage while directly attached to the surface.
So what kind of drone are we talking about? It’s called the PD6-CI-L (PD6) and it’s from long-time Japanese drone manufacturer, PRODRONE. The PD6-CI-L debuted at the International Drone Conference, InterDrone, a little over a month ago in Las Vegas, and it showed off what it can do, like battle the elements, inspect for exceptionally small structural damages, and literally walk on walls (and ceilings!).
The main feature of PRODRONE’s newest drone, however, is the tech employed behind the machine to detect infrastructural damage, setting it apart from other drones that do very similar, if not, the same things as PD6. By using negative pressure, PD6 can attach itself to walls and ceilings for a clean sweep of any structure, like big bridges and tall vertical walls.
But while traditional drones are faced with instability due to high gust winds of the staggering altitudes they’re tasked with, PD6 handles this issue better than most thanks to its unique ability to attach to surfaces. PRODRONE set out to eliminate the amount of energy drones typically exert when battling wind speeds by relieving the PD6 of this problem, allowing it to perform to a higher standard and deliver damage reports faster.
The design of the PD6 enables accurate image capture by maintaining a constant focal distance from the inspection surface while its L-shaped body allows it to traverse all types of surfaces without having to switch between drone types. PRODRONE intends the PD6’s 6,000mAh battery to be spent purely on inspection and detection for construction time optimization— a feature that will not likely go lost on its intended audience.
PD6 features a total of six propellers, six wheels, weighs 13 lbs (with a payload of about 4 ½ lbs), has a propulsion speed of 3 mph while inspecting (12 mph in normal flight), and can fly up to around 9,843 ft. The drone can also accurately inspect damage and cracks as small as .0039 inches wide when fitted with an HD camera.
These all sound like good things (and exciting developments for construction industry use), until you hit its one major drawback: 10 minutes of flight time. Considering the drone’s intended use, 10 minutes of operational flight time seems redundant. But while its flight time is a disappointment, the real announcement for the industry is in some of the new developments made with the introduction of the PD6-CI-L drone, like the technology behind its self-propel, self-adhere key features and its ability to inspect up to less than an inch of structural damage.
With no announced dates for a global release, Japan can expect to have the PD6-CI-L sometime in the future.
Leave a Reply