The development of drone technology is beginning to touch on a wide range of industries, sectors and aspects of life. Significant media attention has been dedicated both to beneficial uses of drones, such as unmanned aerial vehicle ("UAV") military reconnaissance missions, as well as the disruption which the misuse of drones can cause, such as the closure of Gatwick airport.
The boss of Aberdeen-headquartered ICR Integrity has quit the firm to “pursue” other opportunities it was revealed last night.
Oil and gas services group ICR Integrity of Aberdeen has muscled in on the drone-based inspections market by snapping up Sky-Futures Partners for an undisclosed sum.
Inverness-based Global Energy Group (GEG) said yesterday it had formed a strategic partnership with drone-based inspection company Sky-Futures.
Sky Futures has produced new footage showing how confined space inspections take place. The video was captured at the company’s 350acre testing and training centre. The drones can inspect storage tanks, vessels and other confined space and inspections take hours rather than days or weeks. Watch the footage below.
A new regulatory standard for drones operating in the North Sea is set to be in place early next year.
A drone firm specialising in the oil and gas industry has been boosted by venture capital investment worth more than £2.5million. Sky-Futures, which is opening a new, larger office in Aberdeen on Monday, has also been backed by a US fund specialising in drone technology. The firm was founded in 2009 by James Harrison and Chris Blackford who operated drones in Iraq and Afghanistan while in the British Army.