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Aeromapper at CES 2019 with ENGIE: Ready for an American adventure!
Smart cities 20/11/2018

Aeromapper at CES 2019 with ENGIE: Ready for an American adventure!

Aeromapper is one of the pioneering drone manufacturers in France. In fact, the company was the second one ever allowed to fly its drones for dozens of kilometers, independently and completely out of the line of sight of the remote pilot.They will be at CES 2019 at the ENGIE Lab to present their AVEM drone and applications developed for it in partnership with ENGIE Drone Lab (CRIGEN). Commercial director Alexandre Liagre gave us an introduction to Aeromapper.


Aeromapper was born in 2012, when the very first regulations were passed allowing drones to operate in French airspace.

We are manufacturers and operators of professional drones used for mapping and surveillance applications. These are long-range "aircraft" type drones that can work on surfaces and distances greater than traditional drones.

Aeromapper was created by people with a background in airplane-based cartography who wanted to develop a new tool for collecting images: the drone. Aeromapper has developed the product from A to Z, which has given us a perfect understanding of the machine and its systems and which we can modify at will without being held up by technical aspects.


Tell me about your story with ENGIE.

The world of drones is small, and everyone gets to know each other quickly. ENGIE is one of the pioneers in France in using drones for industrial purposes. You have a strong desire to be at the forefront and to find useful applications for the Group. This is why we quickly got in touch to discuss the unique capabilities of our systems. ENGIE became our client at the end of 2016 and today I can say that we have a partner-type relationship rather than a supplier. We supply systems to ENGIE, but we also bring our expertise to bear in assisting in its operations.

With ENGIE, we are working on mapping and monitoring sensitive sites like Storengy gas storage sites. Our machines are capable of covering large surfaces and distances, much more than traditional UAVs that are limited to 30 minutes of range and cannot move more than 800 meters away from their remote control. Our drones can remain in the air for almost 3 hours and travel dozens of kilometers. They therefore offer a much larger coverage area without sacrificing the quality of the data retrieved or the security conditions.


What does it mean for you to come to CES?

So far we have mainly focused on the French market but our ambition is to test the product internationally. This invitation to CES fits perfectly into our development plan. Coming to CES with a partner like ENGIE, will give us some initial visibility internationally, especially in the United States. Given our specific skills - covering large surfaces quickly - the United States is definitely a good target!


Are there any specific regulatory issues that you will have to face?

France has been a pioneering country in terms of legislation, which has given us a head start since 2012 over many other countries. Regulations on drones are not harmonized for the time being, and before targeting a country for export, the first issue to address is the regulatory part, since this is what will allow us to define what applications we will be able to offer.

The United States has a complicated regulatory environment that is changing, which will later allow us to do a lot of things, probably more so than in France.

 

You’re coming to CES with ENGIE Drone Lab from CRIGEN to present your joint projects.

Yes, we will show our product, the AVEM system. It resembles a small plane with a wingspan slightly over two meters and weighs two kilos, so its very light.

Weight is a very important safety element with regard to the regulations, since it defines the level of dangerousness. Under two kg is the same weight as a chicken. Below this limit, a drone can be considered almost "harmless" and can work freely.

We are going to show a model of a drone that looks exactly like the real product. We will also show the applications developed with ENGIE.

 

What meeting would be magical for you to have at CES?

We can think of two kinds of magical encounters:

  • investors who are intrigued by our company and our product
  • a large US company that manages managing large infrastructure networks that sees us as a potential partner.

 

How do you see the industrial/professional use of drones in 2030?

Our job is exactly that, to think up the industrial solutions of the future!

In 2030 we can see there being drones that pilots can monitor from their offices that feed data into machines installed directly in our customers’ facilities, launched by people who don’t necessarily know how to use a drone but who are in the field, on the sites we need to monitor or map. The drone would be completely autonomous, performing its mission alone from a flight plan that fits the customer’s needs, that returns to its starting point on its own and and that transmits data in real time.

 

Is this a dream, or is it likely?

It is very likely: our machines are already very automated. Pilots are required to be present for regulatory reasons. In 12 years, many things will have changed and drones will gain in safety and autonomy.


Source: Christine Leroy

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