Click Image to Enlarge

Today, refineries, chemical plants, energy facilities, container terminals and infrastructure assets are using drones to access high, hazardous, or hard-to-reach areas that once required scaffolding, rope access, or even full shutdowns. These inspections can now be completed in a fraction of the time—cutting downtime, reducing risk, and saving money.

In a recent webinar hosted by the Belgium Maintenance Association (BEMAS), one case study showed how a 50-meter concrete silo was fully inspected in just one hour, with the results analysed digitally back at the office.  Similar efficiencies were seen in flare stack, tank, and cold box inspections, where drones captured visual and thermal data at scale to highlight insulation anomalies and other surface-manifested issues. This expanded coverage made it more likely to detect problems that traditional spot checks might otherwise miss. These insights then help inspectors and asset owners prioritise repairs and plan targeted, quantifiable NDT — potentially robotised — where it adds the most value.

Despite the advantages of modern technology, most inspections are still done manually, with personnel physically walking sites and taking measurements in often hard-to-reach or hazardous areas, said Jean-Louis Weemaes, Chief Business Officer at SkyeBase. He spoke alongside Martijn Cuyx, Innovation Manager at Vinçotte, and Grégory Gourdin, Head of Sales – Energy & Process Industries at Vinçotte, during the Smart Asset Inspection: Leveraging Robotics, Drones and AI webinar.

The webinar—still available for replay—spotlights how advanced technologies like drones, robotics, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are transforming industrial inspections. Speakers from SkyeBase and Vinçotte emphasised a clear industry-wide shift: inspections are moving away from slow, manual routines toward remote, fast, data-driven operations powered by automation and AI.

Making inspections consistent and repeatable

One of the most promising advances in inspection technology is the integration of emission sensors directly onto drones. These sensors can detect over 20 types of gases at extremely low levels, giving quick, site-wide overviews of the emissions. Heat maps then show problem areas—red for high emissions, green for safe levels—so inspectors know precisely where to focus.

Such gas detection drones are widely used in industrial and environmental monitoring. They can detect gases, including methane, CO₂, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), using sensors like Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) and Tuneable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS). Companies like Finnish firm Aeromon, with its modular BH-series sensor units and cloud-based analytics platform, offer multi-gas detection solutions that can be mounted on drones or used handheld. Advanced systems like the Drone Flux Measurement (DFM) method by the Danish company Explicit integrate wind sensors to trace emissions back to their sources, even in complex environments such as coastal plants.

Such drones are increasingly deployed at oil and gas terminals, chemical plants, and for environmental surveys, enabling fast, non-intrusive inspections.

Drones are also improving consistency in routine inspections. By flying along pre-programmed routes, they can capture identical image sets year after year, making it easier to spot gradual changes like corrosion, cracking, or insulation wear. This repeatability supports more accurate trend analysis and helps engineers plan maintenance before problems escalate. As a result, predictive maintenance becomes faster, safer, and far more precise.

Remote and Connected Operations

Thanks to better connectivity, remote inspections are now more practical and efficient than ever, experts say.
“For routine inspections, an inspector doesn’t have to be on site anymore,” Weemaes described in the webinar. “They can log in, follow the live stream, and guide the drone operator from the office.”

Using Wi-Fi, 4G, or 5G links, inspectors can supervise field operations in real time, cutting travel requirements and site exposure.

For hidden or subsurface degradation (e.g., CUI, internal wall loss, bearings), drones provide condition-based indicators that identify areas for closer examination, enabling targeted, quantifiable (robotised) NDT. Those NDT tasks are performed by qualified personnel on site, while faster connections enable near instant transmission of results to experts off-site. All inspection data can be stored and organised on digital platforms. One of them is I-Spect – an AI-powered asset inspection platform that enables filtering, comparison, and sharing of asset trees, images, and annotations.

The main benefit is that asset owners have a single source of data: all inspection information, images, measurements and annotations in one place, processed and visualised with AI, often in 3D. No more scattered PDFs or separate reports; everything runs through one digital workflow.

Alongside the I-Spect platform from Belgium, several other tools are transforming how companies inspect and maintain their assets. DroneDeploy, based in the United States, offers a popular cloud-based platform for aerial mapping and inspections, especially in construction and energy. Percepto, based in israel, uses autonomous drones and AI analytics for continuous site monitoring, while Flyability, headquartered in Switzerland, builds Elios drones for confined spaces, featuring collision-tolerant designs to inspect hard-to-reach areas safely. In Finland, the company Kelluu provides innovative airship-based services for a wide range of inspection and monitoring tasks, offering longer flight times and lower emissions compared to traditional drones.

Each of these platforms offers its own advantages; some focus on real-time data visualisation, others on autonomous drone operations, and others on seamless integration with asset management tools. Together, they reflect a growing shift across industries toward more innovative, more digital inspection methods that are faster, safer, and powered by AI.

While manual inspections are still widely used, modern tools like drones are quickly gaining ground, experts emphasised during the BEMAS webinar. Many companies have already adopted drone technology, while others are actively testing or preparing for deployment. The shift from pilot projects to full-scale integration is accelerating—driven by clear improvements in safety, cost efficiency, and inspection quality.

Tools that centralise inspection data are making information more traceable and trendable. AI now automatically flags potential defects such as corrosion or cracks, with human inspectors performing final quality assurance. Some systems even support live streaming, allowing inspectors to guide drone operators remotely in real time—watching the feed and directing flight paths from an office or home.

Moving from reactive to proactive maintenance

Traditional inspections often require confined-space entry, scaffolding, and lengthy permitting. By contrast, drones and robotic tools have reduced the number of workers exposed to hazardous environments by up to 90%, while also cutting inspection costs by eliminating the need for scaffolding and insulation removal—expenses that can account for 50–70% of inspection budgets.

In the end, drones are helping asset owners shift from reactive fixes to proactive, data-driven maintenance. With autonomous flight, advanced sensors, and AI analysis, drones have evolved from simple inspection tools into key players in improving industrial reliability, safety, and sustainability.

“Early detection keeps assets in the inspect and maintain zone, where defects are still small and inexpensive to correct. As degradation progresses, costs rise quickly and the risk of failure increases,” explained Martijn Cuyx, Innovation Manager at Vinçotte, during the webinar.

By catching issues early, companies can extend the life of critical assets, minimise downtime, and prevent costly unplanned shutdowns. In this new era of inspection, maintenance isn’t just faster—it’s smarter, safer, and driven by data. The future of asset management is no longer reactive; it’s predictive, precise, and profoundly more resilient.

How Drones Are Changing the Way We Inspect, Monitor, and Respond

Drones are rapidly becoming essential across industries—from infrastructure and energy to emergency response and even wildfire monitoring. Their ability to access hard-to-reach areas, capture high-resolution data, and operate in hazardous conditions makes them ideal for tasks like:

Defence and boarder security. In defence, drones are becoming vital for surveillance, threat detection, and rapid response. Military-grade UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) now patrol borders, monitor conflict zones, and support tactical operations with real-time intelligence. Initiatives like Europe’s “drone wall” show how autonomous flight and AI tracking are being scaled to protect critical infrastructure and national security.

Industrial, energy, and infrastructure inspections. Inspecting bridges, pipelines, tanks, railways, and power lines without shutting down operations; Surveying construction sites and managing progress remotely; Globally, drones are streamlining asset inspections. Equipped with high-resolution, thermal and lidar cameras, they detect corrosion, cracks, and leaks with sub-millimetre precision. Automated flight paths ensure consistent data collection, while AI enables predictive maintenance and defect tracking—reducing downtime and eliminating the need for scaffolding. Inspecting bridges, pipelines, and power lines without shutting down operations

Wildfire detection and rescue missions. Supporting search-and-rescue missions and disaster response; Tracking wildfires and mapping affected zones in real time; As wildfires become more frequent and intense due to climate change, drones are changing how we fight them. In the future, coordinated drone swarms could even autonomously drop water or create firebreaks. Future swarms of drones may even deploy water or firebreaks autonomously.

Environmental and emission monitoring. Monitoring crop health and irrigation in agriculture; Drones equipped with gas sensors can detect over 20 compounds at parts-per-million levels, generating heat maps that pinpoint leaks—even in windy conditions. This technology is now used in refineries, tank terminals, and offshore platforms to enhance safety and compliance.
Toward autonomy. Research and development are pushing drone technology toward full autonomy. Companies and agencies are testing drone fleets that can fly autonomously, share data across networks, and safely navigate complex environments. These systems are designed for large-scale tasks such as infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, and emergency response.

Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS

Photos NLS Finland, shutterstock

Drone Wall: Europe’s Digital Defense Against Aerial Threats

Click Image to Enlarge

The EU is building a “drone wall” — a digital defence system of sensors, AI, and drones designed to detect and neutralise unauthorised aircraft before they reach European airspace.

Announced on October 16 as part of the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, the initiative was launched in response to a growing number of airspace violations and hybrid threats along the EU’s eastern borders.

Unlike a physical wall, the system will use radar, optical sensors, signal jammers, and AI tracking tools to create a virtual shield stretching from Finland to the Black Sea. It’s aimed at protecting EU and NATO borders from espionage, sabotage, and other emerging threats.

The project gained urgency following a rise in drone incursions and airport disruptions in countries such as Poland and Romania.

The Baltic states are leading the development, with Croatia, Latvia, and the Netherlands contributing technology and production.

Set to be operational by 2027, the drone wall marks a turning point in Europe’s defence strategy—signalling how drones have evolved from industrial tools to core components of even national security.

 

How Drones Are Changing the Way We Inspect, Monitor, and Respond

Drones are rapidly becoming essential across industries—from infrastructure and energy to emergency response and even wildfire monitoring. Their ability to access hard-to-reach areas, capture high-resolution data, and operate in hazardous conditions makes them ideal for tasks like:

Defence and boarder security. In defence, drones are becoming vital for surveillance, threat detection, and rapid response. Military-grade UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) now patrol borders, monitor conflict zones, and support tactical operations with real-time intelligence. Initiatives like Europe’s “drone wall” show how autonomous flight and AI tracking are being scaled to protect critical infrastructure and national security.

Industrial, energy, and infrastructure inspections. Inspecting bridges, pipelines, tanks, railways, and power lines without shutting down operations; Surveying construction sites and managing progress remotely; Globally, drones are streamlining asset inspections. Equipped with high-resolution, thermal and lidar cameras, they detect corrosion, cracks, and leaks with sub-millimetre precision. Automated flight paths ensure consistent data collection, while AI enables predictive maintenance and defect tracking—reducing downtime and eliminating the need for scaffolding. Inspecting bridges, pipelines, and power lines without shutting down operations

Wildfire detection and rescue missions. Supporting search-and-rescue missions and disaster response; Tracking wildfires and mapping affected zones in real time; As wildfires become more frequent and intense due to climate change, drones are changing how we fight them. In the future, coordinated drone swarms could even autonomously drop water or create firebreaks. Future swarms of drones may even deploy water or firebreaks autonomously.

Environmental and emission monitoring. Monitoring crop health and irrigation in agriculture; Drones equipped with gas sensors can detect over 20 compounds at parts-per-million levels, generating heat maps that pinpoint leaks—even in windy conditions. This technology is now used in refineries, tank terminals, and offshore platforms to enhance safety and compliance.

Toward autonomy. Research and development are pushing drone technology toward full autonomy. Companies and agencies are testing drone fleets that can fly autonomously, share data across networks, and safely navigate complex environments. These systems are designed for large-scale tasks such as infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, and emergency response.