Businesses Embracing Drones Expand into Robotics Variety, According to Recent Study
In the rapidly evolving world of industrial automation, stakeholders in the drone industry are increasingly recognising the potential of venturing into the broader industrial robotics market. This shift is driven by the growing adoption of ground-based robots by companies, particularly in the sectors of mining, energy, and manufacturing.
Ground-based robots, such as quadruped robots and crawlers, excel in precision, detailed contact inspections, and navigating challenging industrial spaces. For instance, quadruped robots like ANYmal, equipped with LiDAR, thermal cameras, and gas detectors, are being used to inspect active conveyor belts, machine rooms, and milling equipment in mining operations. They collect thermal images, audio samples, and photographs to detect equipment faults early and safely navigate hazardous or confined spaces[1][3].
Crawlers, such as Gecko’s tethered magnetic robot, perform specialized nondestructive testing (NDT), including phased-array ultrasonic testing, which provides high-resolution subsurface data on ferrous surfaces. This kind of contact-based inspection is not currently achievable by drones and is crucial for corrosion, cracking, or structural integrity assessments[2].
On the other hand, drones provide broad, fast visual coverage with cameras (thermal, RGB, OGI) and can safely reach difficult-to-access or high areas. Drones like those from Voliro or Elios conduct visual, thermal, and wall-thickness ultrasonic testing remotely, accelerating inspections, improving safety, and gathering 3D spatial data for modeling[2]. However, they cannot conduct contact-based phased-array NDT.
The integration of ground-based robots and drones offers several advantages. Companies deploy ground-based robots to inspect equipment and surfaces up close—especially in dangerous or confined environments—while drones rapidly survey larger areas or heights and perform initial broad assessments[1][2]. This combination results in safer inspection regimes by reducing human exposure to hazards, more comprehensive data collection by combining contact and remote sensing, and increased inspection frequency and coverage using autonomous systems, thereby improving maintenance planning and reliability[4].
As the awareness of these capabilities grows, more companies are planning to adopt other types of robots, with 22% expressing their intent[2]. In fact, 63% of companies in the Energy and Utility sector that already use drones plan to adopt other types of robots[5]. This trend suggests that drone companies could see this as an opportunity to partner with other robotics companies, acquire them, or launch their own robotics divisions.
Moreover, businesses and agency users should consider their need for uncrewed systems holistically instead of focusing on just a single domain. As companies are not using marine drones significantly, according to the survey, they may need full solutions for their remote data collection needs, which could lead to increased collaboration between the drone and robotics industries[6].
In conclusion, the complementary approach of ground-based robots and drones enhances inspection effectiveness and operational safety across various industries. By leveraging the strengths of both platforms, companies can maximise coverage, data quality, and safety across diverse industrial environments. This synergy offers a promising future for the integration of drone and robotics technologies.
[1] https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/articles/2021/03/ground-based-robots-drones-complement-inspections/ [2] https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/articles/2021/03/ground-based-robots-drones-complement-inspections/ [3] https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/articles/2021/03/ground-based-robots-drones-complement-inspections/ [4] https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/articles/2021/03/ground-based-robots-drones-complement-inspections/ [5] https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/articles/2021/03/ground-based-robots-drones-complement-inspections/ [6] https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/articles/2021/03/ground-based-robots-drones-complement-inspections/
- In the future, drone companies could expand their business by partnering with other robotics firms, acquiring them, or launching robotics divisions, as more companies express interest in adopting various robots.
- The integration of drone technology with artificial intelligence (AI) and other industrial robots, like ground-based robots, offers a promising synergy, leading to safer inspection regimes, more comprehensive data collection, and increased maintenance planning and reliability.
- The energy industry, in particular, shows a strong intent to adopt multiple types of robots, with 63% of companies already using drones planning to incorporate other robots as well.
- To maximize the potential of uncrewed systems, businesses and agencies should consider holistic solutions and collaborations between the drone and robotics industries, rather than focusing on a single domain, such as marine drones.
