Thu, Apr 28, 2022
Percepto Selected by Florida Light & Power for Drone Monitor Contract
Percepto has announced the imminent deployment of a fleet of autonomous drones on a mission to monitor Florida Power & Light’s substations and power distribution grids across the state.
The company notes that it's the first time the technology has been used in such a way in the state, leveraging drone-in-a-box (DIB) technology with a minimal personnel and infrastructural requirement. The deal represents the largest commercial autonomous drone project in the world, according to Percepto, who says it's also apparently the first time autonomous drones have been used in urban terrain for infrastructure inspection. The drones will deploy on their own in order to ensure quality service to FPL's customer base.
Percepto's inspection portfolio is designed for fully automated, remote, and persistent monitoring, aimed at easing the difficulty of watching large, state-spanning systems for breach or failure around the clock. Their equipment will be rolled out to serve more than 11 million Floridians, with the first phase set to install 13 DIBs to West Palm Beach over the coming year. Long-term, Percepto says they'll bring out hundreds of the systems to monitor the power provider's distribution substations over the next 5 years. Percepto was able to nail the contract partly due to its extensive hurricane testing, which showed that their DIB system was capable of weathering Level 5 storms and wind speeds up to 155 mph, a must for the state. That durability will allow the drones to respond quickly after a power outage, diagnosing and isolating faults faster than humans could canvass the power grid on their own.
“We look forward to continuing our long and productive relationship with FPL to help ensure that Florida’s electrical infrastructure is constantly monitored, providing residents with more reliable infrastructure, with power back online faster after outages,” said Percepto CCO Ariel Avitan. “FPL’s visionary approach in adopting the latest drone technology will play a critical role in the electric grid of the future, and Percepto is thrilled its drones will help ensure vital infrastructure reliability to FPL’s customers.”
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