UAV Power Line Inspection and
Meter Reader Use Case Power line inspection
involves examining the pylons and their high voltage insulators. Even
connecting screws must be intact. The inspection frequency depends on
transmission line size. The AirShip Endurance V2 can hover at a horizontal
distance close enough for observation, approximately 10-400 feet depending on
the equipment used and at a maximum height of about 4,500 feet from the
ground. Because the V2 uses noise reduction propellers and/or super
compressed air, lower decibel noise allows for longer inspection hours, unlike
traditional helicopters. This helps satisfy noise abatement laws and eliminates
disturbance to livestock.
Electricity providers can now commission the service of the AirShip Endurance
V2 VTOL UAV to conduct power line inspections, monitor insulators and detect
thermo graphic problems. Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of
electrical energy, from generating power plants to electrical substations located
near demand centers. This is distinct from the local wiring between high-voltage
substations and customers, which is typically referred to as electric power
distribution. Transmission lines, when interconnected with each other, become
transmission networks. The combined transmission and distribution network is
known as the "power grid".
Ben Berry,
Founder and CEO
AirShip Technologies Group
Some power line inspection uses “multi spectral thermal imaging” which is good
if for flying a UAV above the tower where a thermal imaging device is looking at
two side by side ceramic insulators or junction boxes. You can see based on
the color of the video, if one side is hotter than the other. However, this shows
only a visual representation of the different thermal or heat signatures that
inspectors are looking at to give operators a heads up on which unit has a
problem. Thermal imaging alone does not provide an actual exact digital
temperature reading of each piece of equipment that is being inspected.
The AirShip Endurance V2 is equipped with a point and shoot laser temperature
sensor can be d\esigned specifically to be integrated into the V2 platform. For
power companies, this capability is a “key critical requirement. They don’t just
want to know that a piece of equipment is hotter than normal from thermal
imaging, they need to know exactly what the actual temperature is, and power
line inspectors are already used to using point and shoot laser temperature
readers without trying to decipher thermal imaging.
Power companies spend a ton of money every day sending field techs out
checking power lines, towers or other equipment all over a state or
country. They have to get out of their trucks and do visual inspection
(binoculars), temp readings (handheld Laser Temp Reading devices, Home
Depot type devices. They have to point at the equipment as mentioned above,
as well as climb towers for further detailed inspection – they can’t see the top of
the units from the ground - and or replacements). To make matters worse,
hunters and campers are constantly out in the countryside shooting their guns
on the tower equipment, blowing out or damaging ceramic spacers, junction
boxes, or other equipment that they have to deal with on a daily basis.
Not only do inspection techs have to deal with harsh weather, but a lot of these
towers are in very isolated places, hard to reach areas, getting stuck in the snow
or sand all the time. Using the AirShip V2, operators can leverage the UAV by
sitting inside the safety of a truck with a laptop controlling the UAV units for
these inspections, temp readings, and the GPS locations of specific problem
towers. All of this within line-of-sight from a truck (current FAA regulations) as
the Tech parks in an area that they can see and inspect several towers at the
same time. And in the near future (once FAA opens up to beyond line-of-sight
(BLOS) UAV’s, they will have the capability to remotely control these units
(BLOS) at their local command and control headquarters, without having to send
out field techs. They would only have to send out techs for those units identified
as problem towers based on UAV video/temp readings, and GPS location at the
time of inspection.
In the near-future, a Mobile Hive AirScape Operation, or AirScape subscribtion
inspection service will allow for control of multiple UAV’s at the same time (i.e.
covering a wider range of area). Power companies have a lot of open country
to cover!
AirShip Technologies Group, Inc. – Power Line Inspection and Meter Reader AirScape Use Case
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AirShip Technologies Group, Inc.
(www.AirShipTG.com), an
American Pacific Northwest firm, plans to serve power line generator service
providers with its AirShip Endurance VTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).
AirShipTG’s UAVs can dramatically save power providers time and resources
for preventive maintenance, during power outages and with meter reading. This
Power Line Inspection and Meter Reader Use Case is served
by our AirScape services, including video and visual imaging inspection, multispectral imaging and wireless meter reading. Our long flight endurance AirShip
Endurance UAVs serve power line generators in diverse geographic topologies.
This UAV Power Line Inspection and Meter Reader use case was developed
after interviews and meetings with power generation companies regarding their
requirements for the use of UAVs and includes, but is not limited to the following:
Power Outages

Short on Staff. The UAV serves as a force multiplier so the power generator
company can deploy UAVs to perform inspections instead of deploying more
staff to cover the same service area.

Power Line Assessments. Using multispectral and high definition gimbalbased cameras, the UAV can be operated via radio control, cellular internet or
autonomous flight management software to assess the power infrastructure.

Power Line Inspections. The UAV is outfitted with a point and shoot laser
exact temperature device that specifically designed to be integrated into the V2
platform.

Line Breaks. Even a temporary loss of electricity can cause not only minor and
major inconveniences for citizens, but significant losses to the economy. With
quick deployment, the UAV’ can help to survey current line breaks or inspect
the lines as a preventive action.

Service Continuity. Electrical failures always seem to happen at the worst
possible time. Some malfunctions can be prevented by simply performing good
maintenance; however, often things just fail.. When disaster happens, the
difference between the situation remaining manageable and it becoming a crisis
is how it is handled in the first few hours. The UAV can fly to the GPS site of
failure and allow operators to see the power generation site and infrastructure
ahead of when repair teams arrive. Essentially, the UAV can conduct
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) ahead of the repair team
arrival.
Persistent Endurance
Meter Reading

Smart Meter Reading for Electric Meters. UAV-enabled smart meters run on
two frequencies. The frequency communicating to the electric meter is 900 MHz
(megahertz). If the premise also has a gas or water meter, the frequency from
the electric meter to the gas meter is 2.4 GHz (gigahertz). The electric meter
frequency is similar to a cell phone and the water or gas meter frequency is
similar to a computer router. Neither device will interfere with any wireless
devices in the environment.

Proximity Reading. In this deployment approach, the UAV is equipped with a
payload consisting of a specialized gateway box. The gateway box works with
a controller, a sensor reader, a Wi-Fi network, a proximity sensor and a 3G or
4G network. As the UAV follows its flight path, the proximity sensor transmitter
detects the availability of a sensor receiver in its path and triggers a network
connection to the remote sensor. The controller then proceeds to read the
sensor and either stores it locally if no 3G/4G network is available or forwards
it to a data cloud if the 3G/4G network is available. Once the data is in the
cloud, it is available for further analysis and processing by back end operations.

First-Person View (FPV)-Enabled. Use of the on-board FPV can help direct
views critically important for electric infrastructure maintenance monitoring or
viewing compromised infrastructure prior to power restoration. FPV, also
known as remote-person view (RPV), or simply video piloting, is a method used
to control the radio-controlled UAV from the driver or pilot's view point. Most
commonly it can be used to pilot the unmanned aerial vehicle. The UAV is
either driven or piloted remotely from a first-person perspective via an onboard
camera, fed wirelessly to a technician’s video goggles or a video monitor. More
sophisticated setups include a pan-and-tilt gimbaled camera controlled by a
gyroscope sensor in the pilot's goggles and with dual onboard cameras,
enabling a true stereoscopic view.

Safety. The AirShip Endurance VTOL UAV does not use exposed rotors, and
the aircraft is able to operate safely with human operators in close proximity
because the ducted fan rotor assemblies are enclosed.
AirShip Endurance V2 VTOL UAV InFlight
AirShipTG’s core competencies are a) vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL); UAV
airframe and fuselage ducted fan design and development, b) Solar turbine clean tech
integrated air accelerator propulsion, c) regenerative drive of its lateral turbines, and d)
AirShip Technologies Group, Inc. – Power Line Inspection and Meter Reader AirScape Use Case
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persistent high endurance autonomous flight control. The UAVs are targeted for
commercial/civil/and military use cases as they seek alternatives to using helicopters,
fixed wing aircraft, or terrestrial vehicles. Now that there are numerous vertical takeoff
and landing (VTOL) aircraft in operation around the world, this market is in demand!
The AirShip V2 and AirShip V5 VTOL UAV with their AirScape service delivery system
represents a disruptive entry into what will become a highly sought after commercial use
of UAVs that expands far beyond military use. The UAV serves as a service delivery
platform for power line inspection and meter reader use case applications. The UAV’s
“AirScape” service is a low cost, scalable UAV-as-a-Service capable of serving multiyear contracts for multiple AirShipTG enabled use cases.
Commercial AirShip Endurance V2
Two things have come together to make the AirShip Endurance UAV invention the next
killer app and game changer. First, AirShip Technologies Group has developed a clean
tech Solar Turbine to power the AirShip V2 and V5 UAV with an external solar film array
and aerial regenerative drive that recharges internal electric storage. This tandem
ducted fan with integrated clean tech air accelerator power provides propulsion for the
UAV’s long endurance flight of 30 to 90 days, depending on weather conditions.
Secondly, in the United States, the Defense Appropriation Act of 2012, mandates the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) House Bill to open up the U.S. national airspace
(NAS) for lightweight UAVs to serve 1st Responders, of which departments of
transportation are considered. We plan to adhere to the FAA requirements of a total
weight no more than 55 pounds and a 400 foot altitude ceiling.
The AirShip V2 and V5’s serve as an aerial service delivery platforms for:
Ducted Fan Air Accelerators
a) AirScape Services – A 24x7 geographic video on-demand surveillance service
that is low cost, is scalable, and delivers persistent flight endurance. AirScape
can serve multiple clients simultaneously.
b) Solar Array Film – A breakthrough patented solar array film that delivers up to
28% first-generation solar cell efficiency to power the AirShip V2’s propulsion
for long-flight endurance.
Diverse AirShip VTOL UAV Drone Marketplace
AirShip Endurance V2 and V5 VTOL UAVs
Cellular
Internet
Communications
AirShip
Endurance V2
VTOL UAV
Impeller Propulsion powers
AirShip V2’s Two Lateral and
Pivotal Rear Ducted Turbine
Air Accelerators
AirShip Unified Airframe
“AirScape”
AirScape” 24x7
Real-Time Video
Coverage Service
Main Components:
Core Business:
• Air/Vehicle Drone Production
• Persistent Flight Endurance
• Cluster Drone Flight Mgt.
• GPS Communications
• Antonymous Mission Deploy.
• Manufacturing and Certification
• Google Earth User Interface
• GIS Video-on-Demand
• Emergency First
Respondent Coverage
Operations Mgt.
• Security & Privacy
• Account & Billing Mgt.
• Service Differentiation
• Multi-Year Subscription
Services
• Google Earth API UI
• Dedicated and Regional
Services
• Service Level
Agreements
• Cloud Computing
• Wireless Cellular and
Emergency Comms
Customers & Account Management
Phase 1 1st Responders Market:
• Fire Departments
• Police Departments
• Dept of Transportation
• Hospitals
• News Organizations
• Emergency Management
• National Guard
• State Govt
• County Govt
• City Govt
• Disaster Relief
Phase 2 Corporate Market:
• Railroads
• Utilities
• Private Sector
• Not-for-Profits
• NGO’s
Phase 3 Service Provider Market:
• Google Maps
• Microsoft Bing Maps
• Yahoo Maps
• Zillow Images
Together, the AirShip V2 and V5 VTOL UAVs and AirScape service represents a
quantum leap over competitor solutions for geographic imaging services. As a UAV
service delivery platform, the V2 and V5’s serve to host several applications that will be
phased in over time. As a commercial aerial imaging and surveillance service for
electric power generation service providers with geographically dispersed assets on the
ground, and information service providers, this aerial platform represents a powerfully
broad opportunity. Overall, our market entry strategy is well defined by diverse
marketplace phases shown below.
AirScape Commercial and Defense Applications
AirShipV2 uses Printable
electronic Solar Cells with
Conductive Nanoparticle Inks
onto Polymers
Military Mission
 Surveillance and Reconnaissance
Public Safety
 Law Enforcement
 Homeland Security


Border Surveillance
Emergency Management
Environmental Surveillance
 Environmental GIS Video Scanning
 Fire Prevention and Monitoring
Media Coverage
 Local and National News Flyovers
 Public Sporting Events
(Internal/External)
Hazardous Materials Coverage
AirShip Technologies Group, Inc. – Power Line Inspection and Meter Reader AirScape Use Case
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 Disaster Relief Coverage
Search and Rescue Services
 Sea Search and Rescue
 Hospital Emergency Department
 Resorts and Resort Parks
 Fire Department Emergencies
Online Map Augmentation
 Google Maps
 Microsoft Bing Maps
 Yahoo Maps
 Zillow Home Maps
Geographic Information Systems
Imagery
» Agriculture
» Archaeology
» Coastal Management
» Defense Mapping
» Engineering & Construction
» Coastal Management
» Defense Mapping
» Engineering & Construction
» Environmental Monitoring
» Forestry
» Geospatial
 Hazardous Materials Monitoring
 Utility Assets Observation
 Pipe Line Monitoring
Asset Management Surveillance
 Monitoring Assets and Equipment
 Electronic Surveillance
 Corporate Ground-Based Assets
Government Coverage
 Highway Conditions Monitoring
 Local and State Government Service
 Congestion & Accident Monitoring
» Homeland Security
» Land Cover and Change Detection
» Land Development
» Law Enforcement
» Mining
» Motion Pictures
» Natural Hazards
» Oil & Gas Exploration and Development
» Pipeline & Transmission Surveys
» Sports and Tourism
» Electric Power Generation Inspection
and Meter Reader
There’s a familiar pattern in Reinvention: Rethinking answers to problems lead to a new
technology coming along to fill a long-standing need. But as it becomes widely
implemented, questions arise over how best to use it and how it may affect the rest of
the World!
Should you have any follow up questions, please feel free to contact us directly.
Sincerely,
Ben Berry, Founder and CEO
AirShip Technologies Group, Inc.
18522 Anduin Terrace
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Phone: (503) 320-1175
[email protected]
AirShip Technologies Group, Inc. – Power Line Inspection and Meter Reader AirScape Use Case
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