Drones have been used to deliver groceries, take photos and even put out wildfires, but can they be used for inspecting utilities? The city government in Niles, Indiana seems to think so. The city’s new miniature aircraft, which weigh around 10 pounds, and features four motors and 17 inch propellers, is being used to inspect electrical infrastructure, such as poles, wires and substations.

Although there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about Nile’s new inspector drone, it is effective at what it’s made to do. The drone features thermal and zoom imaging, and it is easy to operate, which allows drone pilots to effectively identify and correct defects in the electrical systems before they can become a serious problem.  Niles’ City officials hope that the new drone will not only help to increase their utility system’s reliability, it will also reduce possible workplace hazards. The city’s utilities manager, Jeff Dunlap, sees the drones as the wave of the future for the city, given the city’s type of airspace and its types of airfields.

So far Nile’s four existing consumer grade drones have proven useful for all kinds of photo assignments, and the city wants to increase their program by adding a new drone for inspecting electrical utility. According to Dunlap, their new drones were purchased from Mishigami Group in Holland, Mich. and features two cameras as well as a thermal camera in addition to its zooming features.  This allows the drone to superimpose different images of the same object, which allows it to identify potential problems and threats in the electrical utility system.

The city government hopes to use the drones to carry out inspection scans of seven substations as well as other parts of the system. If all goes well, Dunlap hopes that it will be able to save around $26,000 per year thanks to the drones.  It’s worth mentioning that the city’s utility staff have already flown drones on various assignments. They have used drones to take pictures for the city’s website as well as photographs of damages caused by tornadoes.

However, these drone assignments usually involved training and photography. The new drone will be used to analyze electrical utility systems, and perhaps conduct
search and rescue efforts, which poses new challenges for both officials and pilots.  Despite the “newness” of the project, local officials are confident that they can make their new project work. If all goes well, the city government hopes to purchase additional drones for the future.