AmeyVTOL will carry out a project to collect data on railway infrastructure in real-time with Network Rail by using drones, thanks to the Innovate UK program.
AmeyVTOL is a joint venture between Amey and VTOL technologies that develops advanced aerial robotics. AmeyVTOL’s exclusive long-range hybrid drone, known as The Flying Wing, has a flight range of up to 100 km, and it has state-of-the-art sensors that enable it to capture and send data in real time. Furthermore, this innovative technology can use artificial intelligence to process data and provide faults automatically, allowing operators to make decisions from up above. The drone is not only efficient and silent, but it also has the ability to generate digital asset models.
Innovate UK, which is funded by the Department for Transport, is committed to the development of research and innovation in the United Kingdom’s railway industry by searching for ideas and solutions to transform and improve train travel. This bid for funding introduced the attempt to fly and operate an unmanned aircraft beyond the line of sight, which includes asset inspections and monitoring at altitudes, thereby taking operators out of hazardous environments.
“We are delighted to be working with InnovateUK and DfT on this revolutionary project. We have utilised our expertise in drone technology and data processing to bring to the market something that doesn’t currently exist; we are excited about where The Flying Wing will take us”
The company’s commitment to innovation
The company has recently presented several initiatives that reaffirm its commitment to innovation in every area of business where it operates. Amey, in collaboration with Transport Scotland, is testing out an innovative exoskeleton with operators working on the Forth bridges in Scotland, which aims to reduce the risks posed by manual tasks.
In addition, it has developed the Automated Lane Closure System, a mechanism that consists of starting up a vehicle capable of safely deploying and collecting roadside beacon signals. That way, employees don’t have to leave the vehicle to perform this task, thereby reducing workplace accidents that occur on roads during this type of intervention.
