Enhancing Infrastructure with Aethon’s Expertise & RIEGL’s Premier Sensors

Editor’s Note: This is an interview with Cameron Shankland, who is responsible for business development at Aethon Aerial Solutions.

Can you please provide a brief overview of your professional background (s) and experience, particularly with 3D laser scanning/lidar technology, and/or a brief history of the growth of the company and its use of 3D technology? Please include an idea of the timelines.

Founded in 2016, Aethon Aerial Solutions has rapidly distinguished itself in the realm of LiDAR-based surveying, a field in which our principal investors have wielded expertise for over three decades. Within a mere span of eight years, Aethon has broadened its horizons to serve Transmission and Distribution utilities across a diverse geographical canvas, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Our unique proposition lies not only in providing top-tier aerial survey services but also in being specialists in integrated sensor payload technology.

Central to our technological arsenal is the RIEGL sensor, around which we have engineered a symbiotic relationship with our fully autonomous image camera sensors. This innovative integration enables us to offer unparalleled LiDAR-based positional risk analysis for vegetation management in days vs weeks, complemented by a 1-2mm precision autonomously targeted camera. This cutting-edge combination facilitates a hands-free, detailed asset inspection in a single high-speed flight, setting a new benchmark in efficiency and accuracy for the industry.

Can you provide an inventory of some of the primary 3D surveying and mapping hardware and software that your company currently uses, as well as any other related products? Please include an idea of the timeline of major purchases.

At Aethon, we exclusively utilize RIEGL‘s cutting-edge LiDAR sensors in our platforms, ensuring we offer a diverse range of options tailored to meet the precise needs of our clients. Our inventory includes an array of models such as the VUX-1LR, VUX-240, and VQ-480 LiDAR sensors, each integrated within our bespoke payloads.

What attracted you to the use of RIEGL hardware and software? Did you look at other products? Why did you choose RIEGL lidar sensors?

The principal of Aethon boasts a long standing, multi-decade relationship with RIEGL, having incorporated their sensors across all his ventures. This enduring partnership stems from a profound belief in the exceptional quality of RIEGL sensors, which combine durability and innovation,  which have consistently proven to be the most fitting choice for our clients in the infrastructure sector. Our commitment to RIEGL technologies isdriven by RIEGL’s highly robust sensor designs, inherent sensor reliability, their outstanding support staff, and technical product evolution to the complex needs of infrastructure surveying and inspection.

How do you integrate such a wide range of RIEGL products into your workflows? What were some of the challenges with that? What were some of the best practices and lessons learned?

With decades of experience, Aethon’s leadership team has mastered the art of integrating our proprietary solutions with RIEGL sensors, resulting in minimal challenges due to workflows refined through years of successful field surveys.

Can you provide a brief overview of two or three of the projects where you made use of RIEGL’s technology? Can you provide any thoughts on time savings vs. other methods? Any thoughts on return on investment?

Selecting standout projects from our extensive portfolio of 500,000 miles of powerline mapping is akin to choosing a favorite among one’s children for us at Aethon. Our integrated solution, combining RIEGL LiDAR with our proprietary AIC technology for 1-2mm detailed imagery, sets a new standard in the industry. Capable of simultaneous data collection in a single pass from up to 1,000 ft in elevation and 300 ft in lateral distance at 50 knots, our approach offers clients a comprehensive understanding of system risk.

Our solution which incorporates RIEGL LiDAR components pinpoints all positional risks, both from the infrastructure itself and its surroundings, while the AIC system adds a vital layer by eliminating the need for dangerous hovering maneuvers in high-risk areas, enabling desktop review of inspection-grade imagery at scale. This dual capacity has proven invaluable in Wildfire and Bushfire risk zones, where our solution’s efficiency and speed surpass traditional VLOS UAVs and manual patrols.

What do you see in the future for the use of 3D technology on your projects? Are you investigating other advanced technologies that will create new business opportunities?

Moving forward, Aethon firmly believes in the pivotal role of the high-precision accuracy and output of the RIEGL family of sensors as the cornerstone of our continuous innovation.

We view the future with optimism, recognizing the vast opportunities presented by the rapid development of new technologies and the innovative adaptation of existing solutions to new applications. As developers and service providers of integrated systems, our enthusiasm for pioneering and implementing the next generation of integrated payloads in our market is unwavering.

For additional information on Aethon CLICK HERE.

For additional information on RIEGL CLICK HERE.

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