Top Flight Technologies, Inc. (Malden, Massachusetts, USA), a provider of hybrid energy power systems for the aerospace industry, has partnered with building materials manufacturer Aizawa Concrete Corporation (Hokkaido, Japan) to produce unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies for concrete road and bridge inspection.
Top Flight and Aizawa will look to accelerate the operational efficiency of both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) inspection of roads, bridges and other public works in Hokkaido and throughout Japan. To scale commercial UAVs for concrete-based inspections and repairs, the two companies will leverage Top Flight’s hybrid-electric powered Airborg UAV technology and its and 3D Real-time Simulation Environment & Fleet Management System for remote UAV inspections. The former Top Flight technology can stay airborne for up to two hours, while carrying a load of up to 25 lbs (11 kg), while the latter can be used for UAV pilot training and to build and test simulated autonomous missions.
With this partnership, Aizawa hopes to apply robot drone products and services in order to enhance its current operations. In particular, the Top Flight UAV technology will aid in high-definition (HD) inspection, inventory, and maintenance of assets under contract.
"In addition to solving the challenges of longer-duration flight for flying robots, Top Flight is developing the advance sensors and technologies that will maximize the effectiveness of our aerial inspection needs including quality analysis that will save our customers future ongoing maintenance costs,” says Aizawa President and CEO Yoshihiro Aizawa. “Aizawa continues to invest in technologies that can extend the life of concrete and infrastructure products while controlling the ongoing cost of maintenance.”
“Aizawa’s partnership with Top Flight confirms that many industries can develop “3-D mobility” new revenue-based quality services and improve operational efficiencies utilizing UAV technology,” says Top Flight CEO Long Phan. “This is an excellent example of bringing two entities that have deep knowledge in our respective areas of expertise but will spur new ways of addressing these same needs around the globe.”
Source: Top Flight Technologies, Inc, www.tflighttech.com.