HUTCHINSON, Kan. There is an Ann Arbor MI. based drone solutions company that may have an
answer for inspecting wind turbines, and they’re working with Siemens to perfect it.
Sky Specs announced a collaboration with Siemens, to deploy automated drone technology for onshore and offshore wind turbine inspections. The initiative’s goal is to develop a pushbutton inspection system that is faster, repeatable, and more efficient than existing methods.
Siemens and SkySpecs are working to refine its technology for wind turbine inspections and prepare it for commercial readiness. The joint effort will enable Siemens to incorporate more advanced preventative maintenance techniques using SkySpecs’ technology. The inspections are automated from start to finish, minimizing the need for human resources to manage the drones. When operational the drones would be able to take off, capture high resolution images of all four sides of each blade, return and land in under 15 minutes.
The blades do not need to be stopped in any particular orientation. The automation process offers the flexibility to conduct inspections on demand rather and at set intervals.