Tell us about your experience in the field of UAVs and what your fields were of expertise before venturing into UAVs?
Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets. The company has been active in the UAV field since it was founded in 2014 with the vision of providing software-driven, drone-based autonomous solutions for industrial sites. Our solution is the most-deployed drone-in-a-box solution in the market.
Can you brief us about Percepto Autonomous Inspection & Monitoring (AIM)?
Percepto AIM is our cloud software solution. All the visual data that is collected using our drones is automatically uploaded and geo-tagged into AIM. Our customers can connect to AIM from anywhere and get a real-time view of what is happening on their site, review the latest reports and issues, follow inspection missions in real time and review past data, geo-tagged by asset for easier data management. All the data is stored and managed for archival uses. We also offer AIM as a standalone product for customers who already have their own drone program and are looking for a data management and analysis solution for their visual data. The software can use any high-quality visual data collected, including thermal data from Flyr cameras, and others.
What are the other various Products that you are offering at Percepto?
We focus more on the value and less on the products. Our portfolio consists of a drone-in-a-box with two different payloads: one for general inspections and security, running an RGB and Radiometric payload; and our latest offering, the OGI (Optical Gas Imaging) payload for emissions detection. Our OGI solution allows Oil & Gas facilities to fly a drone over their site and pinpoint gas leaks at the click of a button. Having our drone-in-a-box onsite allows them to run inspections at no extra cost and with high frequency. This enables remote operations, leads to reductions in product loss and regulatory fines, keeps employees safer, and most of all, helps keep our planet and community safer.
What are the various industries Percepto is serving?
Percepto provides value for oil & gas (All streams) electric utilities, solar energy mining,, ports and terminals, and heavy industrial sites.
How are you going to utilise the recently raised 67M$? Where is your major revenue coming from? If possible Share your future projections?
Our focus is further expansion in North America and Europe while continuing to invest in product and R&D innovation.
What is a remote ID? How Percepto is ensuring compliance with the remote ID regulation?
Remote ID is the ability of a UAV to broadcast its location, altitude, and take-off location information with other relevant parties, enabling regulatory bodies to identify the drones and their operators while in flight. Both the USA and Europe have recently enacted Remote ID regulations, requiring Remote ID-compliant drone flights by this past September 16, 2023 in the US, and as of January 1, 2024 in Europe. Percepto is making compliance simple by including internal WiFi antennas, which broadcast the drone ID, location, altitude, and velocity, in all new Percepto drones shipped since last December 16, 2022. A second channel interface (e.g., cell phone, tablet) broadcasts the RPIC location, and the operator must approve the location request sent in order to take off. We instituted an operational process to ensure all Percepto Air systems already deployed at customer sites were equipped with the needed modifications by the September 16, 2023 deadline. To prepare for the upcoming European regulation, Percepto’s is implementing remote ID broadcasting capabilities into its drones. As of January 1, 2024, all new Percepto Air drones will be compliant with the new regulatory requirements. In addition, all Percepto Air systems already deployed at EU customer sites will be equipped by Percepto with remote ID broadcasting capabilities by January 1, 2024.
Percepto Receives FAA Waiver to Scale Shielded BVLOS Commercial Drone Operations, How it is economically helpful for the company? What are the other support you are expecting from the government in future?
Percepto is currently the only drone-in-a-box company to have received this waiver, and that’s a big milestone not only for us, but for the entire industry, as it helps other companies follow in our footsteps. This new waiver primarily benefits our customers, as they no longer need to pay for complex and expensive equipment to run remote operations in critical infrastructure sites anywhere in the US.
We received this waiver from the FAA after years of maintaining a close relationship with the FAA. Throughout, we have shared our knowledge and data gathered from thousands of flight hours and missions to help build a mainframe for safety and regulation. We are delighted that the FAA sees Percepto as an industry leader, as we hope this leads to even more groundbreaking waivers that move the industry forward.
What are your predictions about the future of the drone industry and the advent of disruptive technologies?
I think artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will drive drone innovation further. Inspection robots and drones will continue to leverage AI and ML algorithms to enhance their capabilities. AI-powered systems will enable robots to analyze vast amounts of data collected during inspections, detect patterns, and make real-time decisions. ML algorithms will enable robots to improve their performance through continuous learning and adaptation.
