Percepto Drone Receives Canada’s First Approval for Drone Flight Beyond Visual Line of Sight: BVLOS Without Visual Observer

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

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Today, leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider Percepto announced that its Percepto Air Max drone-in-a-box solution has been approved by Transport Canada for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operation by Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) at McConnell Lake Control Dam. For the first time in Canada, this BVLOS operation will not require the presence of a visual observer on site. The Percepto Air Max was issued a BVLOS Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) by Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems and their GM Kevin Toderal to conduct remote inspections in a pilot project beginning this month.

The OPG facility will have access to remote, high frequency visual inspection with actionable insights and the possibility to centrally control drone-in-a-box fleets at multiple sites. This new announcement follows the company’s recent achievement of a U.S. nationwide BVLOS waiver, enabling qualified customers to immediately receive actionable insights from remotely operated drones. Featuring the market’s most ruggedized drone-in-a-box solutions, Percepto’s technology has been utilized by other electric utilities to assess the integrity of power grid infrastructure, allowing for faster response times and power restoration following disasters.

“Obtaining this certificate marks a significant milestone in Canada to provide remote and autonomous inspections at power generating facilities, fulfilling Percepto’s mission to provide safe and reliable critical infrastructure,” said Percepto Policy & Government Affairs VP Neta Gliksman. “We look forward to growing our strong working relationship with Transport Canada and supporting their efforts to create a thriving environment for drone operations by making autonomous drone technology available to power stations and other critical infrastructure across the country.”

Percepto’s operations will be coordinated on a single platform via its Autonomous Inspection and Monitoring (AIM) solution. Percepto AIM allows drones to be operated remotely and in sync, granting maximum site coverage with heightened safety and increased efficiency.

“We look forward to gaining new operation and infrastructure insights at McConnell Lake Control Dam,” said Ontario Power Generation Senior Information System Specialist Tim Trebilcock. “Our hope is that this technology will help our efforts to ensure asset integrity and reliable electricity generation for Ontarians.”

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Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.