This approval enables fully automated drone operations BVLOS without the need for visual observers on-site, around the clock. This capability is particularly notable as it extends to controlled airspace, demonstrating an exceptional level of trust and confidence in the safety and reliability of Percepto’s drone-in-a-box solutions.

The approval process was spearheaded by Percepto, drafting the necessary documents and closely collaborating with German regulators to meet the stringent requirements for BVLOS operations. This achievement not only underscores Percepto’s commitment to advancing drone technology in compliance with European regulations, but also solidifies a close working relationship with German authorities, suggesting expedited approvals for future deployments.

The LBA has welcomed this development, stating, “We are pleased with Percepto’s achievement in obtaining BVLOS approval in Germany.  This exemplifies the potential of advanced drone technology to transform industries while ensuring LBA’s highest standards of aviation safety.”

“Percepto’s achievement in Germany is a testament to its leadership in the autonomous drone industry and its ability to navigate and comply with complex regulatory environments,” said Neta Gliksman, Percepto VP of Policy and Government Affairs. “Percepto extends its gratitude to the LBA for their cooperation and looks forward to contributing further to the safe and effective integration of drones into German airspace.”

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award.

For more information, visit www.percepto.co

Media Contact

Jackie Alkobi
Percepto
pr@percepto.co
+1-917-999-0192

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Austin, TX, November 28, 2023 — Percepto, an industry-leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solutions provider, today announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the company a nationwide waiver to operate a full fleet of Percepto drones remotely by one operator. While previous Percepto operations required one pilot to monitor and operate one drone, this new approval allows for commercial operation of up to 30 drones, simultaneously with one pilot, redefining drone automation and remote operations.

For heavy industry, namely oil & gas, utilities and other energy stakeholders, this significantly reduces operational expenses and increases operational efficiencies. With this approval, Percepto heavy industry customers can finally implement large-scale drone fleet inspections by safely, quickly and effortlessly scaling their drone programs. Moreover, it lowers costs for new entrants seeking to utilize drones to enhance their operations for the first time and encourages more market players to establish new drone programs, which is now more cost effective than ever.

This waiver builds on Percepto’s years of regulatory efforts, allowing for safe nationwide drone BVLOS operations with no humans on site or the need for expensive radars, using remote pre-flight checks, extensive automation, and now the ability to operate up to 30 drone-in-a-box systems simultaneously. It also comes as the last piece of the remote operations puzzle, alongside Percepto’s state-of-the-art drone-in-a-box hardware and autonomous inspection software.

“For years, Percepto has been leading the remote inspection revolution – both on the regulatory and technology fronts,” said Percepto Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Ariel Avitan. “Simply put, with large-scale remote inspections we’ll see fewer large-scale safety and environmental failures across critical infrastructure.”

“Percepto is very grateful for the FAA’s approval of this waiver, the true holy grail, which was achieved through years of continued cooperation with the FAA,” said Neta Gliksman, Percepto VP of Policy and Government Affairs. “This is opening doors for critical inspection operations for our clients, expanding the possibilities and scale of autonomous inspection technology.”

“Percepto’s approval from the FAA to remotely operate drone fleets sets the stage for transformative advancements in various industries,” says Delek US Chief Information and Data Officer, Ido Biger. “Delek plans to utilize remote inspection technology to minimize our environmental footprint and boost employee and community safety at scale.”

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award.

For more information, visit www.percepto.co

Media Contact

Jackie Alkobi
Percepto
pr@percepto.co
+1-917-999-0192

The post Percepto Receives Significant FAA Approval to Remotely Operate Full Drone Fleet by One Operator appeared first on Percepto.

AUSTIN, TX, June 12, 2023 – Percepto, the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, announced today a combined $67M Series C in equity and debt funding, led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), alongside new investors Zimmer Partners and one of the largest U.S. energy companies. The round includes participation from existing investors U.S. Venture Partners, Delek US Holdings, Atento Capital, Spider Capital and Arkin Holdings, bringing the total investment in the company to more than $120 million, reflecting Percepto’s strong performance and confidence in its robust offering.

Percepto recently received an unprecedented, nationwide Beyond Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver from the FAA, allowing the company to provide any US critical infrastructure site with remotely-operated automated drones without the need for site specific approvals from the FAA. A game changer for the industry, this waiver removes logistical and cost barriers, such as the need for radars or people on the ground, fueling the adoption of autonomous drone technology.

“KDT’s reinvestment underlines their confidence in our ability to make companies more profitable by keeping infrastructure operational in the face of the unpredictable,” said Percepto Co-founder and CEO Dor Abuhasira. “Organizations are increasingly discovering the benefits of autonomous and remote drone operations to automate facility inspections and data analysis across their sites. With this new round of funding, new strategic investors, and the new regulations that significantly increase the access to using autonomous drones, the conditions are ripe for the autonomous drone market to expand, and for Percepto to meet the growing demand for automated drone inspections and monitoring at industrial sites.”

Heavy industry confronts major challenges to operate efficiently, maintain reliable critical infrastructure, meet high productivity expectations, and increase safety levels – all in the face of complex, hazardous and often aging infrastructure assets. Percepto helps industrial companies save seven-figure amounts and meet these challenges by allowing real-time visibility into their facility’s infrastructure integrity, and finding failures before they escalate into incidents. In one instance, an oil & gas customer using Percepto’s Air Max OGI drone detected within hours a methane gas leak that could have gone unnoticed for months using conventional methods, saving the company millions of dollars, minimizing safety risks to workers, and preventing environmental damage.

“Percepto is a powerful force in boosting the accessibility of automated drones for industrial inspection and monitoring,” said Chase Koch, Founder and CEO of Koch Disruptive Technologies. “Having deployed Percepto’s technology across various Koch companies, we are experiencing first-hand how its innovative R&D improves inspection and monitoring. Their work to create a clear regulatory path for this technology puts it in a strong market position, firmly stationed at the forefront of the industry. We look forward to continuing our journey with Percepto as it sets the new standard for making industrial operations safe, efficient and sustainable.”

Percepto Autonomous Inspection & Monitoring (AIM), the company’s end-to-end visual inspection solution powered by autonomous drones, robots and AI, enables critical infrastructure sites to increase the frequency and quality of inspections via automation. The solution automates the entire visual inspection workflow, from data collection to AI-powered analysis and insights. With Percepto AIM, problems such as gas leaks, overheating and infrastructure deterioration are detected faster so companies, such as Siemens Energy, can take preventative measures to make sites more productive while minimizing the risk of environmental and safety incidents to meet their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals.

“Percepto’s unique AI technology provides heavy industry with a path to maximize their efficiency and ensure smooth operations both in terms of providing a safe environment for workers and generating high productivity levels,” said Siemens Energy Venture Partner Illai Gescheit. “We are impressed with Percepto’s growth within a turbulent market, and look forward to working with them as they continue to pioneer drone regulations and innovations that will help deliver commercial value to our customers while fulfilling their environmental responsibilities.”

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites remotely monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution, to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, across Koch Industries companies and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. For more information, visit www.percepto.co.

Media Contact
Josh Turner
Si14 Global Communications
perceptopr@si14global.com
US: +1-917-231-0550
Int’l: +972-54-949-6526

The post Percepto Raises $67M Series C, Receives FAA Waiver, Ushering in New Era of Autonomous Drone Inspections at Industrial Sites appeared first on Percepto.

Austin, TX, May 8, 2023 — Percepto, an industry-leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solutions provider, today announced receipt of an unprecedented waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The significant approval allows the company to operate uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in shielded airspace, without humans onsite, and without expensive and cumbersome ground-based or airborne detect and avoid (DAA) systems, for inspection and monitoring operations at critical and non-critical infrastructure sites nationwide.

Under the waiver, low risk “shielded” BVLOS operations are authorized 200 feet above and around assets located on critical infrastructure sites. At non-critical infrastructure sites, shielded BVLOS operations are permitted 50 feet higher than the tallest obstruction located within a half-mile of the site.
This achievement for Percepto will benefit the whole industry as the industry seeks to scale true BVLOS UAS operations for inspection and monitoring and is a crucial step in fully integrating UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS).

Percepto proactively engaged with the FAA throughout the waiver application process and demonstrated to the FAA that the company can operate BVLOS close to structures safely without costly ground based or airborne DAA systems.

The operations authorized under this approval build upon recommendations made by the UAS BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) chartered by the FAA. The ARC correctly recognized that shielded airspace near structures and other obstacles where crewed aircraft do not typically operate could be leveraged as a safety mitigation to support safe, scalable, and economically viable UAS BVLOS operations. Percepto served as a member on the BVLOS ARC.

“Percepto is very grateful to the FAA staff for their engagement and consideration of our application for this important waiver,” said Neta Gliksman, Percepto VP of Policy and Government Affairs. “This waiver will help usher in a new era of scalable UAS operations that will benefit the critical infrastructure industry immediately, and in the future, in ways we haven’t even yet imagined.”

“This waiver’s implications for BVLOS UAS operations in the United States are massive,” said Lisa Ellman, Chair of the Global UAS Practice at Hogan Lovells and Outside Counsel to Percepto. “The FAA waiver provides scalability to businesses and encourages innovation across the industry, which will yield significant benefits for critical infrastructure facilities and the American people.”

“The use of Percepto’s UAS to perform critical infrastructure inspections significantly improves worker safety and efficiency of operations by allowing inspections to occur remotely from anywhere in the United States,“ said Danny Allen, Geospatial Intelligence Supervisor at ConocoPhillips.

“The ability to conduct remote BVLOS inspections without humans supervising the system and without the need for costly DAA assets will increase the value of the Percepto system while significantly reduce costs and barriers to BVLOS operations at our critical infrastructure and industrial commercial sites nationwide,” said Tim Shanfelt, PMP, Operations Enablement Director, Koch Ag and Energy Solutions.

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award.

For more information, visit www.percepto.co

Media Contact
Josh Turner
Si14 Global Communications
perceptopr@si14global.com
US: +1-917-231-0550
Int’l: +972-54-949-6526

The post Percepto Receives Ground-Breaking FAA Waiver to Scale Shielded Beyond Visual Line of Sight Commercial Drone Operations Nationwide appeared first on Percepto.

Findings from 200 managers and executives across energy and oil & gas reveal most companies are slow to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies for visual site inspections

Austin, TX, March 16, 2023 –  Percepto, the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, today released survey results exposing the lack of usage of proven, advanced technologies such as drones, robotics and AI to inspect and monitor industrial sites – despite best intentions to keep employees safe and reach environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals. 

Respondents indicated that some hazardous assets, such as power grids and pipelines, are largely unmonitored for long periods of time, leaving infrastructure vulnerable to large scale failures such as fires, oil spills and gas leaks. Failing to detect faults in time can have far-reaching consequences, such as loss of life, billions of dollars in fines for environmental infractions and lost profits. While most energy and oil & gas companies collect huge amounts of visual data in the form of images and video, only 12% of those surveyed indicated they are using artificial intelligence for automating data analysis to gain insights. 

“Drones, robotics and AI allow for automated visual infrastructure inspections at a pace, scale and accuracy level that humans alone cannot deliver using traditional visual inspection methods, particularly for hazardous, hard-to-reach assets,” said Percepto Co-founder and CEO Dor Abuhasira. “The heavy reliance on labor intensive, manual methods suggests a lack of awareness of how AI can be utilized to ensure the highest levels of safety, productivity, asset reliability and adherence to regulations, representing a vast untapped technological resource.”

Some key survey findings:

• While many industrial organizations today are striving to upgrade their visual inspection to Industry 4.0 standards, all (100%) respondents still rely on manned visual inspection, while none are using robots and only 16% are using drones.
• “Increasing site safety” was a main driver for visual inspections by respondents (98%), higher than those seeking to maintain the reliability of their operations (66%) and regulatory compliance (29%).
• A third of respondents (35%) are still using in-house developed analysis tools which are typically not best-of-breed in the market. This suboptimal data management can result in relevant insights not reaching the right stakeholders, repairs not being performed in time, and in extreme cases – data not being analyzed at all.

By using drones and robots coupled with AI-powered analysis software for their data management, companies can monitor their site health with far greater safety, speed, efficiency, and accuracy from anywhere, and allow all relevant stakeholders easy access to both the data itself as well as to the derived insights.

The survey queried 200 managers and executives within the energy and oil and gas industries half of which were from North America, 25% from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and 25% from the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). 

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. For more information, visit www.percepto.co.

Media Contact
Josh Turner
Si14 Global Communications
perceptopr@si14global.com
US: +1-917-231-0550
Int’l: +972-54-949-6526

The post Percepto survey highlights environmental and safety risks to critical assets due to insufficient inspections of industrial sites appeared first on Percepto.

Austin, TX, February 16, 2023 – Percepto, an industry-leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solutions provider, today announced that its VP for Policy and Government Affairs Neta Gliksman was appointed Vice President for the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA). The non-profit organization led by leading members of the commercial drone industry works with US federal policymakers and industry stakeholders to reduce barriers, and enable the expansion of the commercial uncrewed aircraft systems and advanced air mobility industries.

A member of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), Gliksman’s appointment highlights Percepto’s commitment to making the widespread use of drones in commercial environments a reality. The company achieved a series of regulatory breakthroughs in North America over the last few years, most notably in recent months:

• First of its kind nationwide Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) FAA waiver to remotely deploy and operate automated drones for critical infrastructure monitoring at customer sites (November 2022)
• FAA highly automated BVLOS approval to enable operations 200 feet above ground level without a pilot or visual observer on-site (January 2023)
• FAA exemption denial that helps scale up remote inspections (February 2023)
• Transport Canada highly automated BVLOS approval for unmanned autonomous drone operations without a pilot or visual observer on site (January 2023)

Gliksman works closely with regulatory bodies and other drone industry stakeholders around the world to push the regulatory needle forward for large-scale, autonomous commercial drone operations. She also works closely with Percepto clients globally, assisting them in receiving the regulatory approvals necessary for their operations.

“I look forward to working with my fellow CDA officers, and with our broader CDA membership, to ensure that a strong regulatory and policy framework accelerates the implementation of commercial drone technology,” said Gliksman. “Percepto fully appreciates the significant benefits that remote operations of drones will bring to critical infrastructure sites, including quicker incident response and vastly accelerating efficiency across inspections and operations. We are proud to support the CDA in helping bring other significant life-saving and societal benefits that drones can provide, such as enhancing worker safety and protecting the environment.”

The Commercial Drone Alliance brings together commercial drone end-users, manufacturers, service providers, advanced air mobility companies, drone security companies, and vertical markets including oil & gas, precision agriculture, construction, security, communications technology, infrastructure, newsgathering, and filmmaking. The CDA works with all levels of government to collaborate on policies for industry growth, and seeks to educate the public on the safe and responsible use of commercial drones to achieve economic benefits and humanitarian gains.

About Percepto
Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award.

For more information, visit www.percepto.co.

Media Contact
Josh Turner
Si14 Global Communications
perceptopr@si14global.com
US: +1-917-231-0550
Int’l: +972-54-949-6526

The post Percepto VP Policy and Government Affairs Neta Gliksman Appointed Vice President of Commercial Drone Alliance appeared first on Percepto.

Austin, TX, February 2, 2022 – Percepto, an industry-leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solutions provider, today announced a first-of-its-kind exemption denial from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA’s denial provides cause for the whole industry to celebrate, as for the first time it allows Percepto to operate Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) without humans onsite, eliminating a burdensome exemption process that has been required to enable remote pre-flight check under Part 107.

To operate UAS BVLOS without humans onsite, the FAA has previously required both a Part 107 waiver approval and an exemption to 14 CFR Sections 107.15 (condition for safe operation) and 107.49 (preflight familiarization, inspection, and actions for aircraft operation). An onerous rulemaking process, an FAA exemption typically takes years to approve and is disproportionate to the risk involved. There is also nothing in the text of Part 107 that requires pre-flight inspections to take place in person.

Percepto demonstrated to the FAA that the company’s pre-flight inspection went above and beyond the FAA’s Part 107 requirements and therefore did not require an exemption. Percepto’s procedures include UAS inspection with cameras on and around the base and images to confirm safe deployment. Percepto proactively engaged with the FAA to address its questions, exceeding the FAA’s expectations of pre-flight inspection processes.

This advancement for Percepto will benefit the entire industry as it seeks to streamline applications and approvals for BVLOS UAS operations.

“Percepto is very grateful to the FAA staff for their engagement and consideration of our CONOPS and technical information to reach this groundbreaking result for Percepto and the broader UAS industry,” said Neta Gliksman, Percepto VP of Policy and Government Affairs. “In these circumstances, we are thrilled with an exemption denial. We look forward to continuing to work with the FAA as we bring the significant benefits of scalable BVLOS UAS operations to the US critical infrastructure industry.”

“This decision’s implications for BVLOS UAS operations in the United States in the near-term cannot be overstated,” said Lisa Ellman, Chair of the Global UAS Practice at Hogan Lovells and Outside Counsel to Percepto. “The FAA is opening the door to the industry for more streamlined and timely approvals for BVLOS UAS operations and the realization of their benefits for many societally beneficial use cases.”

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award.

For more information, visit www.percepto.co.

Media Contact
Josh Turner
Si14 Global Communications
perceptopr@si14global.com
US: +1-917-231-0550
Int’l: +972-54-949-6526

The post Percepto Achieves Regulatory Breakthrough to Scale Commercial Drone Operations appeared first on Percepto.

AUSTIN, TX, January 6, 2023 – Percepto, the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has allowed operators to use Percepto’s drone-in-a-box solution to perform highly automated Beyond Visual Line of Sight (HA BVLOS) inspection and monitoring operations at a large Texas solar power plant. The drone operations are approved for up to 200 feet above ground level, double the altitude of any previously approved HA BVLOS drone operation in the U.S. This uniquely high altitude will enable greater operational flexibility to monitor larger areas and taller structures, including mapping and modeling use cases.

Without a pilot or visual observer on site, Percepto’s advanced technology enables an automated detect and avoid (DAA) cycle. This eliminates the need for remote pilot in command intervention if other aircraft are detected within the airspace. This automatic airspace deconfliction capability paves the way for centrally controlled drone-in-a-box fleets of multiple sites in the future.

“Gaining this approval marks a significant milestone to provide remote and autonomous inspections at industrial sites, fulfilling Percepto’s mission to provide safe and reliable critical infrastructure,” said Percepto Policy & Government Affairs VP Neta Gliksman. “We are grateful to the FAA for their diligence in reviewing Percepto’s safety case, and we look forward to continue to support the critical infrastructure community across the U.S.”

The solar power plant deployment for which this approval was provided serves as a model for many other industries, including oil & gas, mining and utilities, to increase site efficiency through automated remote inspection operations. Percepto’s automated drone-in-a-box technology has been deployed by many of these industries to streamline preventive maintenance, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. For more information, visit www.percepto.co.

Media Contact

Josh Turner
Si14 Global Communications
perceptopr@si14global.com
US: +1-917-231-0550
Int’l: +972-54-949-6526

The post Percepto approved to deploy highly automated Beyond Visual Line of Sight drones for remote operations at record-breaking altitude appeared first on Percepto.

AUSTIN, TX, November 7, 2022  – Percepto, the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the company a nationwide waiver for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, empowering US-based Percepto customers whose sites comply with the waiver’s criteria to benefit from remotely operated drones. Percepto’s automated drone-in-a-box technology is used by electric utilities, oil & gas, solar power stations and mining operations. The solution detects infrastructure problems, enabling faster response times and ensuring that remedial action is taken where it is needed most.  

In a first approval of its kind, the Percepto system can be operated at qualifying sites across the country remotely from day one for increased safety, efficiency and ease of operation. With this new waiver, the lengthy wait for site specific BVLOS approvals is no longer required. Customers can immediately gain actionable insights with Percepto’s drone-in-a-box for inspection and monitoring. Customers further benefit from Percepto’s ability to centrally control drone-in-a-box fleets at multiple sites. 

“We are very excited by the possibilities this national BVLOS waiver presents to our operations partners,” said Tim Shanfelt, Operations Enablement Leader, Koch Ag and Energy Solutions LLC. “This change helps us extract more value from an already important operations system. Percepto’s national BVLOS waiver will enable expansion of our automated drone inspection and monitoring without the wait for site specific FAA approvals. The achievement further positions Percepto as the industry leader for monitoring critical infrastructure, and serves as a catalyst to making automated drone inspection and monitoring a part of mainstream industrial practices.”

“Obtaining this waiver marks a significant milestone in our longstanding vision to provide remote inspections and operations at industrial facilities, particularly at isolated locations, with much greater efficiency and safety,” said Percepto Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Ariel Avitan. “Percepto makes it easier than ever for governments and businesses across the U.S. to implement automated drone operations, and unleash the true potential of AI-powered inspections.” 

“This groundbreaking approval enables Percepto to scale BVLOS operations at customer sites nationwide,” said Percepto Policy & Government Affairs VP Neta Gliksman. “We are grateful for the FAA’s review and timely approval of our safety case, and we look forward to continuing to work with US regulators to bring the benefits of this amazing technology to the American people.” 

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. For more information, visit www.percepto.co.

Media Contact

Josh Turner
Si14 Global Communications
perceptopr@si14global.com
US: +1-917-231-0550
Int’l: +972-54-949-6526

The post Percepto gains nationwide US waiver to remotely deploy and operate automated drones for critical infrastructure monitoring appeared first on Percepto.

Bangkok, Thailand and Austin, TX, August 17, 2022  – Percepto, pioneering autonomous inspection by industrial robotics, today announced a successful completion of a proof-of-concept (POC) with the Electric Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) for the monitoring of a 250 acre floating solar farm, one of the largest of its kind in the world. 

The size of 70 soccer fields and located 350m from the nearest shoreline, the solar farm is on the Sirindhorn dam basin in Southeastern Thailand, consisting of seven sections floating on buoys. Partnering with Top Engineering Corporation, a Thai drone consultancy and equipment provider, Percepto AIM software and Percepto Air drone-in-a-box will enable autonomous routine inspections of panels and other equipment to ensure proper operation and detect anomalies before they turn into bigger issues.  

Joining Thailand’s electrical grid last October, the $34 million project reflects the country’s push to achieve carbon neutral status by 2050 with 145,000 solar panels harnessing power from the sun during the day and converting energy from flowing water at night. The country is seeking to use more renewable energy sources and reduce its reliance on natural gas, the current largest source for electricity generation.

Given the solar farm’s size and distance from land, equipment inspection and maintenance are cumbersome. Without drones, inspection staff would need to access the panel by boat to manually review the panels or go offshore to simply launch a drone that could provide visual inspection. Inspectors also face obstacles due to weather conditions such as extreme heat, rain and fog. Percepto drone-in-box is a robust system that was the first to pass Level 5 hurricane testing at wind speeds of up to 155 mph, and sturdy enough to handle the heat and humidity of Thailand’s tropical climate. 

Percepto’s automated drones will provide regular operations and maintenance reports, map the location of the panel, and perform inspections of substations, transformers, floating fences and solar floaters which hold the panel above water. When an anomaly is detected, workers can know the exact problem, and where it is located. While one person must be in the vicinity of the panel for regulatory reasons, the inspection can be conducted remotely from Bangkok, more than 600 km away from the dam. 

“We are very excited to partner with EGAT and Top Engineering Corporation on this unique and environmentally sustainable electricity project,” said Percepto Co-founder and CEO Dor Abuhasira. “Autonomous drones are strengthening the sustainable positioning of renewable energy facilities to achieve global climate targets. With Percepto drones, solar farms such as EGAT can be consistently monitored and inspected regardless of their size or location to further unleash the potential of renewable energy sources.” 

“This project illustrates the breadth of our unique capabilities as countries explore innovative solutions in their push to reduce their reliance on traditional energy sources. We’re looking forward to full drone deployment and working with EGAT and Top Engineering to leverage the many benefits of our platform,” adds Ehud Ollech, Head Of Business Development and Partnerships.

“Percepto drones will dramatically improve the consistency at which the panel provides customers with electricity, how quickly repairs are made, and the safety level of our employees,” said EGAT Chief, Fuel Business Development Department, Chanapan Kongnam. “Rather than sending out staff to inspect the panel, we will deploy inspections much more frequently than could be achieved manually. Staff are only sent out when repairs are necessary and they will know the nature of the problem and where it will be located to spend as little time on the water as possible.”

“We applaud Thailand for its innovation and commitment to developing sustainable energy sources,” said Top Engineering Managing Director, Kornnarong Tungfung. “By deploying autonomous drones powered by AI technology, Thai solar farms will be continuously observed for a variety of factors to ensure they consistently generate electricity for the people of Thailand.” 

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto’s AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution, to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto’s solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Fertilizer and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. For more information, visit www.percepto.co.

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