HiTech Drone, part of Saudi Arabia’s Al Maroof group, is now an authorised reseller of Flyability’s Elios, Elios 2, and Elios 3 collision-tolerant drones
The aim of being a reseller of Flyability is to take indoor inspection to the most advanced level in Saudi Arabia.
“It is an honour to partner with Flyability to bring in and provide exceptional inspection using the latest drone technology in the Kingdom’s energy sectors," said Saleh Al Maroof, general manager at HiTech Drone. "This is a game-changer in the inspection field, especially with the high-resolution 4K camera, which gives inspectors high-quality images for checking confined spaces."
The Elios 3 indoor drone is safely contained within a carbon fibre cage, which gives inspectors the freedom to operate it in a variety of environments, as well as complete darkness using its LED lighting, thermal imagery, and live 3D models created with LiDAR data. The cage helps make the drone collision tolerant so it can collide and continue flying. This feature, combined with the high quality of the drone’s visual and LiDAR data, allows inspectors to conduct inspections remotely in tight, confined spaces that might otherwise pose a safety risk for human entry.
In industries that require regular inspections, such as Oil & Gas, Power Generation and Chemicals, the Elios 2 has already become a reliable solution for internal inspections. Using the Elios 2, inspectors have helped realise significant savings and decreased downtimes for asset owners, reducing inspection costs by as much as 90%. Inspectors have also significantly improved safety with the Elios 2 by using it to reduce or eliminate the need for inspectors to enter confined spaces to collect visual data.
The Elios 3 promises to help inspectors even further by providing them with LiDAR data that can be used to create live 3D maps while the drone is in flight, and survey-grade 3D maps in post-processing with software from Flyability's partner GeoSLAM.
Saudi Arabia is the home of energy and the biggest oil suppliers, with world-class companies such as Saudi Aramco, SABIC and Saudi Electricity Company. There are many plants under these companies or their subsidiaries where the Elios 2 and the Elios 3 will be able to make a significant impact on inspections performed to support their operations.
