Industrial Robotics, Drones, Automation, Geospatial & AI
December 31, 2024: Issue 127
Thanks for buzzing along with us in 2024 as we soared through the land, seas & skies of energy, drones, and robotics! đ This year, we unlocked big stories, cutting-edge tech, and game-changing use casesâand weâre truly grateful to have had you along for this ride! đ Check out EDR News 2024 Wrapped Big Stories below for all the highlights, and get ready to charge into 2025 with even more groundbreaking innovations to supercharge your robotics and drone programs. Hereâs to another year of innovation and progress! đžđťđ
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Whatâs Inside:
âĄď¸ Top Energy Tech: Drones & Robots of 2024
Drones + AI = Dream Team
Chevronâs Spot Robots
Autonomous Manufacturing Site Drones at Dow
Drone Inspection ROI for Utility Inspections
đ¤ Industrial Labor Shortage? There's a Robot for That!
2024 has been a wild ride, hasnât it? Weâve seen drones patrolling the skies like tiny futuristic security guards, robots inspecting oil rigs with the precision of a surgeon, and AI showing off its smarts by making them all look even cooler.
We rounded up the top 5 stories of the year from Energy Drone & Robotics, so you donât have to. Highlights include:
Drones + AI = Dream Team: Think peanut butter and jelly, but with algorithms and propellers.
Chevronâs Spot Robots: The ultimate multi-taskersâinspections, safety, and data collection? Overachievers.
Autonomous Manufacturing Site Drones: Dowâs drones donât just fly; they keep factories secure 24/7 like the best night shift youâve ever seen.
Drone Inspection ROI: Why the benefits often go beyond just dollars and cents (safety and data quality are key factors).
What energy tech trend do you think is going to make it big in 2025? Hit reply and let us know.
WHAT'S UP
Robots to the Rescue: As demand increases and labor options diminish, technology is paving the way for innovative contractors to grow, compete and prosper. Equipment Today recently contacted thought leaders from Caterpillar, Procore, Built Robotics and FORT Robotics to explore some of the ways remote operation and automation technologies are helping to relieve the construction industry labor shortage.
Oil Meets Algorithms: According to IBM, AI enables machines to simulate human learning, decision-making, and creativity. In oil and gas, IBM uses AI for asset management, efficiency, and safety in a high-risk, high-reward industry. âWhen the stakes are high, so are the benefits,â says Carol Lee Anderson, IBMâs technology GM.
SPONSORED BY:Us! New Yearâs Resolution Time! Start 2025 off right by sharing the love (and the tech). Pass this Energy Drone & Robotics news issue along to your colleaguesâbecause who doesnât want to be the office hero delivering THE BEST industrial drone and robotics news every week? đ Stay ahead of the curve, impress your team, and maybe even spark a few coffee break debates over the coolest new use cases in drones and robotics. Sharing is caring...and also a great way to keep everyone flying high in 2025!
WHAT'S NEXT
Drone Nerds announced the addition of the Deepthink S8 low-light camera to its lineup of innovative drone technologies. Built for critical nighttime operations, the Deepthink S8 pushes the limits of aerial imaging, offering superior performance in ultra-low-light environments across various industries.
CHC Navigation has introduced the AlphaAir 15 (AA15), a compact and lightweight airborne LiDAR solution designed for high-density 3D data capture that combines long-range scanning, high accuracy, and a rapid data acquisition rate.
IN-FLIGHT Data has achieved a significant milestone with the deployment of the DJI Dock 2 in Northern Canada, demonstrating the potential of automated drone systems in extreme environments.
WHAT'S THE DEAL
Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. announced it has secured two significant contracts, with a combined value of nearly $900,000, to provide asset management and data collection services for a leading exploration and production company in the Permian Basin region of Texas.
The SwissDrones SDO 50 is being successfully deployed by Phoenix Air Unmanned, LLC for a groundbreaking offshore cargo delivery capability demonstration for the oil and gas industry.
WHAT ELSE
When Drones Go Fishing, They Prove To Be The Ultimate Fish Finders
(Image Credit: YouTube: FBR)
Each year, Idaho Fish and Game licensed drone pilots take to the sky to survey Chinook salmon spawning grounds. Navigating trees, wildfire smoke, and curious birds,Idaho Fish and Game collects images of the streambed along 170 miles of historic Chinook spawning habitat in the Upper Salmon River and its tributary streams.
Before the advent of drones, Fish and Game utilized fixed-wing planes, helicopters, and physical ground counts to count Chinook salmon nestsâor redds. While their staff, volunteers, and tribal organizations still walk hundreds of miles of stream each year, the Salmon Regional Office conducts many of their surveys using drones.
So, what exactly are they counting? Chinook salmon spawn in Idaho streams during late summer after returning from the ocean, depositing eggs and burying them for incubation through fall and early winter. In the video shown here, a female Chinook salmon continues work on her redd, burying deposited eggs and diverting oxygenated water over them for incubation. The disturbance they create in the streambed can be identified and counted as a redd and used as a metric to describe spawning escapementâor the number of fish that successfully return to spawning grounds in Idaho.
Identifying redds from the air is a bit different from traditional on-the-ground methods, with unique subjectivity that requires specific training and some experience. Once in the air, the drones do most of the work, flying the river corridor around 150 feet in the air at nearly 12 miles per hour, photographing the streambed every 30 feet or so. Learn more! --> (h/t Idaho Fish & Game)
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Energy Drone & Robotics News is published by InnovateEnergy, Houston, TX. <SIGN UP FOR NEWS HERE> Writers: Megan Horn & Sylvia Ibarra | Publisher/Advertising: Sean Guerre Send us your feedback, comments and suggestions - just hit "reply." Copyright Š 2023 InnovateEnergy, All rights reserved.
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