Silver Spectrum Solutions together with our collaborative partners, Commercial Drones and UViRCO Technologies, have developed two bespoke drone solutions for Power Line Inspection applications. The Transmission Line Inspector (TxLI) drone has been developed for high voltage transmission lines and the Distribution Line Inspector (DxLI) drone has been customised for Medium and Low Voltage distribution line applications. We are the first South African Company to conduct laboratory tests to conclusively prove that drone operations can be done safely near a live power lines.
Transmission Line Inspector Drone
The TxLI Drone has been designed to carry out inspections of high voltage power lines. It utilises a UViRCO Technologies CoroCAM 8 which is purpose built to detect and visualise Ultraviolet (Corona) discharges as well as thermal images (Heating of components). The airframe is based on a DJI Matrice platform with further custom development to include forward obstacle avoidance, multiple streams of video & image transmission, precision positioning and stability.
Distribution Line Inspector Drone
The DxLI Drone has been designed to carry out inspections of low and medium voltage power lines. It utilises an integrated FLIR thermal camera which has the ability to produce simultaneous normal high definition video as well as thermal video. This solution is purpose built to detect hot spots on power lines or live equipment, fly safely for approximately 30 minutes and operate in areas with small electrical clearances. Both drone solutions uses real time kinetics (RTK) in order to allow for precision flying near power lines. The DxLI solution has a built in ADS-B transponder as well as an additional first person view camera included in the gimbal.
Heavy Lift Drone
The HLD5 Drone has a Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW) of 5 kg and has been developed to operate in wet weather conditions. The HLD5 is capable of flying in heavy wind of up to 8 m/s. The IP rating of the drone system is IP66. The airframe has a lightweight composite material construction and is capable of landing directly on water. The airframe has multiple socket connection points for connecting 3rd party equipment such as additional cameras. The flight time with a 2 kg payload is approximately 25 minutes.
The HLD5 is equipped with a fully programmable PixHawk Flight Controller. Various camera payload and transmitter options are available.
Our Collaborative Partners
