The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of Australia has just granted Percepto, an Israeli start-up that is pioneering autonomous inspection by industrial robotics, operational approval to fly Percepto autonomous drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) at a site in Australia.
This new waiver will allow complete remote inspection of facilities. As many facilities are in far-off locations, companies are constantly looking to introduce and use remote operations as a tool to manage, monitor and secure their sites. The approval from the CASA will enable high-risk sites such as mines and refineries to better manage safety and environmental risks while increasing productivity and reducing downtime. This kind of approval can go a long way in safely integrating autonomous drone technology into commercial operations as it will lay the groundwork for similar waivers for others who are interested in doing so.
Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets. Its AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, using its own drones, alongside other robots, and visual sensors. They use advanced machine-learning and AI to provide an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution, to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs. Their system simultaneously collects and analyses data to give a more holistic understanding and perspective about both the technical and management operations of a site. It allows companies to eliminate hazardous, wasteful, and mundane tasks from an operators' day, by connecting them to high-level information that helps them make the right decisions, all while keeping them safe. Being freed from routine tasks leads employees to work more efficiently, making the company more profitable.
“Percepto is a game-changer for how managers at critical infrastructure can inspect assets and monitor sites while gaining real-time insights based on collected data faster than ever before,” says Jackie Dujmovic, CEO of Hover UAV, and a board member of Safeskies Australia and the Australian Association of Uncrewed Systems. She continued by saying, "With Percepto gaining this regulatory approval, we see huge possibilities for how autonomous drones can improve remote industrial operations given Australia's wide-open spaces”.
Percepto was founded in 2014 by Dor Abuhasira, Sagi Blonder, Raviv Raz and Ariel Avitan. The company has raised $72.5 million since its inception, with over 140 employees in Israel, Texas, and Australia. Their product was listed in TIME magazine's 100 Best Inventions of 2021.
