Town of Kelowna contacted InDro Robotics for assistance with aerial data because the threat to town reached urgent levels.
“We desired to leverage the potential of drones to assemble critical information that may’t be obtained through other means,” says Jazz Pabla, Kelowna’s Director of Information Services. “This mission also worked closely, and with the complete support of, Kelowna’s Fire Department.”
InDro is a research and development company with deep expertise in aerial and ground robotics and a history of working with First Responders.
“We were obviously keen to assist as quickly as possible,” says CEO Philip Reece. “To enhance our own expertise, I felt that Spexigon can be probably the most suitable platform for rapidly gathering high-resolution imagery.”
One very unique feature of the mission was the usage of Spexigon, a brand new app-based platform that permits automated flights using available industrial off-the-shelf (COTS) drones. “Capturing consistent, high-resolution photographs via drone is difficult for a pilot to perform manually. Altitude above ground level must remain absolutely consistent, with images captured at precise intervals to be able to be stitched together using a process often known as photogrammetry,” says the corporate press release. “Spexigon is the primary platform of its kind to supply what’s often known as “Current State Imagery” – recently captured imagery that’s high-resolution, standardized, and will be easily updated.”
Initially developed for industrial use, Spexigon is a robust tool for rapid assessment of emergency situations. “Using the Spexi Geospatial app, scores – even a whole bunch – of high-resolution images will be stitched together right into a single cloud-based panorama that will be securely accessed by decision-makers. Data from these missions was processed and viewable inside three hours of the flights,” says the corporate.
“Our mission has all the time been to assist decision-makers get the knowledge they need so that they can higher manage assets & resources,” says Bill Lakeland, CEO of Spexi Geospatial Inc. “Within the case of the continued wildfires being experienced in B.C., our goal is to support the Province, town of Kelowna, and our firefighters by getting them up- to-date imagery of what’s happening on the bottom as quickly and as safely as possible.”
The Spexigon platform consists of an internet app and mobile app that control drone flights in predetermined hexagonal zones overlaid on a map of the earth. These zones are roughly 22 acres in size and are known as Spexigons (a.k.a spatial hexagons).
The platform flies automatic, standardized missions using sub-250-gram micro-drones. Due to their exceedingly light weight, these drones are considered very protected to make use of near people and property on the bottom. They will also be launched in a short time.
InDro Robotics has also been overseeing evening time thermal missions over Kelowna’s landfill, to discover hot-spots and other issues as fires burn beneath the surface.
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