Daredevil wind turbine drone inspector gets crash-proof with cage protection
lios 3 drone, by Swiss technology firm Flyability, is designed to streamline inspection tasks in harsh and confined indoor environments.
Featuring a protective, collision-tolerant cage and LiDAR sensor for real-time 3D mapping, Elios 3 has caught the attention of industrial teams looking to cut down on costs and risks, particularly in wind turbine inspections.
The most striking aspect of Elios 3 is its trademark spherical cage, which allows it to bounce off obstacles without damage.
It also has a unique reversing motor which makes it the only drone that can recover after flipping upside-down without crashing.
Taking indoor drone technology to new heights
Constructed with corrosion-resistant materials and shock-absorbent elements, the drone is built to endure industrial sites where dust, water splashes, and collisions are commonplace. It also has an IP-44 rating, protecting against tiny particles and light water contact.
Inside the cage, the drone hosts multiple advanced technologies under what Flyability calls the FlyAware system. This includes LiDAR mapping, an NVIDIA graphic engine, and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) software to stabilize flight and sense its surroundings at centimeter-level accuracy.
Elios 3 can accommodate LiDAR and auxiliary payloads, fitted with a modular payload bay. Its pilot app then uses the drone’s live 3D mapping to create a visual model, improving situational awareness for operators.