UAVs take on inspection role

Remotely operated aerial vehicles (ROAVs) – often referred to simply as ‘drones’ – have been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. One week, a drone is spotted 50ft from a passenger jet landing at Heathrow; the next, some misguided teenager has armed one with a handgun. But while the emergence of ROAVs is undoubtedly raising issues that need to be addressed, there are also major benefits to be gained from this aerial revolution.

Buoyed initially by the media sector, commercial drone use has been on the rise since ROAVs became readily available. More recently, however, the commercial market has expanded to include more inspection and survey work, with energy, defence and transport all embracing the technology. Just a few months ago, EasyJet revealed details on its plans to use drones to inspect aircraft following lightning strikes. According to project manager Mark Bunting, the technology could speed up the inspection process.