The UK’s sees.ai has been granted uncrewed aerial system (UAS) Conditional Approval by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), enabling deployment of its drones in the United States for close-quarter inspection of high-voltage electricity infrastructure.
The FCC’s Conditional Approval pathway was introduced after US government departments tightened controls on drone supply chains, restricting platforms originating from outside the US from operating in critical infrastructure environments. The pathway provides a route for systems that can demonstrate appropriate security, integrity and supply chain assurance to be authorised for use in the United States.
The sees.ai system is an ‘end-to-end platform’, from aircraft through to data handling. With the approval, the company can deploy centrally controlled, autonomous drones in the United States and provide utilities with the data required for asset condition assessment and long-term network planning.
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Image: sees.ai