How Can Aerial Robotics Like the Voliro T Keep Workers Safe and Save Companies Money?

Is the Voliro T Drone the Key to Making Dangerous Industrial Inspections Obsolete?

The world is full of massive, hard-to-reach structures that are vital to our daily lives. Think of towering wind turbines that generate our power, vast storage tanks that hold essential resources, and industrial chimneys that reach for the sky. Keeping these structures safe and in good working order requires constant inspection, a job that has traditionally been dangerous, slow, and expensive. People have had to climb high, squeeze into tight spaces, and work in hazardous environments. But what if there was a better, safer way?

This is where Voliro, an aerial robotics company, comes in. They have developed a remarkable tool that is changing the face of industrial inspections. It’s a drone, but not like any you’ve seen before. This is a flying robot designed to not just see, but to touch, feel, and test the health of these critical assets. It acts like a skilled technician with a full toolkit that can fly, keeping human workers safely on the ground.

The Problem with Old-Fashioned Inspections

To understand why a flying robot is so important, we first need to look at the challenges of traditional inspection methods. For decades, checking on the structural integrity of a powerline tower or the inside of a massive boiler has involved high-risk activities.

Danger to Humans

Inspectors often rely on ropes, scaffolding, or cranes to get close to the assets they need to check. This exposes them to the risk of falling from great heights, working in confined spaces with poor air quality, or being near hazardous materials. These jobs are some of the most dangerous in any industry.

High Costs

The equipment and specialized teams required for these inspections are expensive. Building scaffolding around a large tank or hiring a rope access team costs a lot of money and takes time.

Significant Downtime

In many cases, the asset being inspected has to be shut down. A wind turbine that isn’t spinning isn’t generating electricity, and a power plant that’s offline isn’t serving the community. This downtime results in major financial losses for companies.

Inconsistent Data

The quality of the inspection can depend on the skill and experience of the individual. Data collected manually can be inconsistent, making it difficult to track changes over time and predict when maintenance will be needed.

The Voliro T: A Flying Robot with a Sense of Touch

Voliro’s main product, the Voliro T, is a drone-based robot specifically built to solve these problems. It moves beyond the limitations of simple camera drones by performing contact-based inspections. This means it can physically interact with a surface to get readings that a camera alone could never capture.

This ability is made possible by its unique design, which features tiltable rotors. A standard drone must stay relatively flat to remain stable. The Voliro T, however, can tilt its powerful rotors to push itself against a vertical or even an overhead surface. This allows it to hold its position and apply the necessary pressure to use its specialized tools, all while remaining perfectly stable in the air.

A Complete Toolkit in the Air

The true strength of the Voliro T lies in its six swappable payloads. These are different sensor tools that can be attached to the drone, allowing it to perform a wide variety of tests. Instead of just taking a picture of a potential problem, the Voliro T can fly over and diagnose it on the spot.

Each payload is designed for a specific task:

Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement

This tool presses against a metal surface, like a storage tank or pipe, and sends out sound waves to measure the thickness of the material. This is crucial for detecting corrosion or erosion from the inside, problems that are invisible from the outside.

Dry Film Thickness

For structures that rely on protective coatings to prevent rust and decay, this sensor measures the thickness of the paint or coating. It ensures that the protection is adequate and evenly applied.

Concrete Inspection

This payload can be used to test the hardness of concrete and use ultrasound to find cracks or weaknesses beneath the surface.

The drone is also equipped with autonomous and AI-assisted flight modes. This means it can fly pre-planned routes and help the operator identify potential areas of concern, making the inspection process not only safer but also more efficient and accurate. The result is a process that is 2.5 times faster than traditional methods, drastically reducing downtime and costs while delivering reliable, high-quality data. The company’s innovative approach has attracted significant attention, leading to a successful funding round of $22 million to further develop and expand its technology.

Drones for Safety: A Growing Trend

Voliro is part of a larger, important movement known as the “Drones for Safety” meta-trend. Across many industries, drones are being deployed to perform dangerous tasks, keeping people out of harm’s way. They are particularly valuable in situations that are too risky, difficult, or time-consuming for humans.

This trend extends far beyond industrial inspections. Drones are making a positive impact in numerous fields:

Public Safety

Companies like BRINC are creating drones specifically for police departments. These drones can arrive at the scene of an emergency in under 85 seconds, giving first responders a critical early look at the situation. Equipped with thermal imaging, lights, sirens, and a loudspeaker, they can assess risks and help de-escalate situations without endangering officers. Over 400 public safety agencies are already using this technology.

High-Rise Maintenance

Cleaning the windows of a skyscraper is a dangerous and labor-intensive job. Lucid Bots has developed a robotic drone that can clean up to 300 square feet per minute, eliminating the need for human window washers to work at dangerous heights.

Military Operations

In combat, clearing a building is one of the most perilous tasks a soldier can face. Shield AI has created the Nova 2, an indoor drone that can autonomously fly through a multi-story building, creating a 3D map and identifying threats without putting human lives on the line.

Whether they are inspecting a boiler, assisting in a police matter, or cleaning a skyscraper, these aerial robots share a common, noble purpose: to take on the dangerous jobs so that people don’t have to. They represent a fundamental shift in how we approach workplace safety, using technology to protect our most valuable asset—human life.