Consumers Energy
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Provide service in all 68 Lower
Peninsula counties.
August 7th, 2016
Consumers Energy
 Provide electric and
natural gas service to
nearly 6.6 million of
Michigan's 10 million
residents.
 1.8 million electric
customers.
 Provide service in all
68 Lower Peninsula
counties.
Quimby
 Octocopter
 Weight: 8.8lbs
 Flight Time: 15-20
minutes
 GPS enabled autonomous flight
 Advanced Features
include:
 Return to Home
 Cruise Control
 Point of Interest
Part 107
Overview of Small UAS Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking
Released 6/21/16, goes into effect on 8/28/16:
• Remote Operators must pass an aeronautical
knowledge test
• 400 ft AGL or higher nearby tall structures
(wind turbines)
• Able to fly on any of our service territory
• Any aircraft on FAA-approved list may be
flown
Line Inspections
“Flying Camera”




4k Digital Camera
Go-Pro
Thermal Camera
LiDAR System
We are looking for:
 Equipment Damage
 Broken
Crossarms/Arrestors
 Measurements
Wind Turbine Inspections
 Safer!

 10x Faster!
1/10th the cost!
 $1.2 million
savings/ year
to Michigan
customers
Substation Inspection
 Temperature
Monitoring
 Overheated equipment
typically means future
failures
 Saves time and
money while
increasing safety
Power Plant Inspection
 Indoors - not Federal
Airspace
 Avoid constructing
expensive scaffolding and
scaling large, dirty walls
inside boilers
We are looking for:
 Damaged equipment
 Cracks/leaks/rust
 Debris build-up
LiDAR – Light Detection And Ranging
 Captures 700,000 points per
second
 3d map of the real world
Next Steps
 Continue testing!!!
(with newer platforms?)
 Solar Panel Inspections?
 Autonomous flight
 Utilizing 3d camera
technology
Questions??