A new drone to inspect pipelines can fly 80 km at a time

South Korean company Doosan Mobility Innovation has developed the DS30 octocopter, which can fly continuously for 120 minutes at the same refueling of its hydrogen fuel tank.

A drone weighing 20 kg is capable of covering a distance of 80 km at a time, and carrying a payload of up to 5 kg. However, additional cargo will affect the maximum range and flight time.

Starting next week, a US oil and gas company will start using the DS30 to visually inspect a large pipeline. During the test, the octocopter will have to fly 80.5 km, after why land at one of the nearby gas stations, where the operator will manually replenish his hydrogen supply. In the future, the refueling process can be automated.

Drone will make similar 80 kmflights over the entire highway over the next six months, performing a routine inspection in any weather, and will also respond to emergencies such as a leak. At first, the device will be controlled remotely, but the developers plan to improve the system and make it completely autonomous.

Earlier, we also reported on the creation of a roofer drone that can independently fix the tiles.