What's next for the Pentagon after the Replicator programme?
Although the Replicator initiative has made several accomplishments, there are still multiple gaps to plug across the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its services.
Cyberhawk completes nuclear inspection
Cyberhawk Innovations has used a UAS to inspect two concrete pressurized water reactor containment domes for American Electric Power (AEP) at the Cook Nuclear Plant in Michigan, the company announced on 30 November.
Traditionally, such inspections involve a man basket with a 180ft crane, while Cyberhawk inspected both domes in a week, with minimal site disruption and significant cost savings.
The UAS inspection method involved capturing images of 100% of the dome surface to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) code standards, with the results digitised into a 3D point cloud that will allow direct digital comparison for any future inspections.
A detailed hazard and operability in the project work up allowed the AEP and Cyberhawk team to overcome various operational challenges, including working around other scheduled projects.
Chris Fleming, CEO at Cyberhawk, said: ‘It’s important to remember that while UAVs can collect a huge volume of data, a high-quality engineering report is what makes all the difference. This allows the client to easily assess the condition of the structure and plan any maintenance based on the data.
‘For AEP, the final reports provided 100% visual coverage of the dome with exact sizing of defects and a 3D model of the structure. This was delivered using our cloud based visual asset management system, iHawk, which we continue to develop as our capabilities and client base grows.’
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