Technology
Voliro builds upon world-class technology developed at ETH Zurich. Voliro’s flying robot features a host of unique capabilities that distinguish it from conventional flying robots. Our current technology allows us to execute complex missions reliably and semi-autonomously. Our R&D team is constantly working on developing new capabilities for the flying robot. With further technological advancements in the coming years, we envision a fully autonomous flying robot solution that will revolutionize work at height.
360o drone
Voliro’s flying robot employs six degrees of freedom force and torque control. Forces of up to 2kg can be applied in any direction, ensuring stable and reliable contact between the inspection sensor and inspected surface.
Thrust vectoring
Thrust vectoring via tiltable rotors allows Voliro’s flying robot to navigate in 3D space while maintaining a fixed orientation. Tiltable rotor design makes the robot resistant to wind gusts and turbulence close to the structure.
Versatile platform
Voliro’s flying robot can be modified to carry a variety of payloads depending on the use-case. It has been successfully used for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) applications, such as Ultrasonic Testing (UT) for thickness measurement, Dry-Film Thickness (DFT) measurement and reinforced concrete inspection with Pulsed-Eddy Current (PEC) sensors. The robot is also suited for contactless jobs such as painting and spraying. The payload possibilities are endless, making it a truly versatile platform for work at height.
Power by Battery or Tether
Voliro’s flying robot can be powered with a battery for short flights sufficient for inspection jobs. It is also possible to power the robot via a tether for extended missions, as required for applications such as painting and spraying.
Localization
Voliro’s flying robot is designed for close-to-structure operations where GPS data is unreliable. Data from multiple onboard sensors is fused to avoid obstacles and robustly navigate in such environments.
Mapping and Modeling
LiDAR scanners or photogrammetry techniques are used for accurate 3D mapping and modelling of inspected assets. Data collected using common inspection sensors can be stored on the 3D model for easy visualization. Thanks to the stored 3D map it is possible to log and revisit previously inspected points in the future, enabling corrosion monitoring and assessment of the asset degradation rate.
Autonomous Mission
Our team is working to develop fully autonomous solutions to perform automated missions. Relying only on high-level inputs from the human operator, such a flying robot could automatically execute the entire mission. This would avoid the need to have a skilled pilot present to perform inspection and maintenance jobs in the future.