Drone technologies used to enhance the efficiency of Sydney Waters’ water sampling program.
The Brief
Sydney Water approached Sphere Drones with a challenging, but exciting vision of implementing UAV technology to enhance the efficiency of their water sampling program. As a completely new application, we were tasked with creating a fully functioning water sampling (payload) pump and having it mounted on an appropriate drone.
The Solution
A challenging brief, our team began to research and develop the project requirements. Utilising 3D printing technology, we designed and then built a proprietary drone-mounted water pump. With a 2-litre capacity, it was mounted to a DJI Matrice M600 Pro drone with A3 Pro Upgrade. With the 1.6kg payload, it had 30 minutes of flight time and could withstand 28.8km/h wind resistance.
The Result
This unique application allowed Sydney Water to substantially increase the safety, efficiency and productivity of their water sampling operations. In direct comparison to previous ‘boat’ testing, the solution was able to dramatically reduce both the time taken, the fuel needed and the personnel required to undertake the same sampling procedure. As important, the drone and payload solution allowed access to sites unreachable by boat, including those situated in dangerous locations or exposed to rough ocean conditions.
Overall, the project highlighted our ability to develop, build and integrate a customised UAV solution in a previously untested industry. Regardless of your commercial need, we’ll work with you to find a solution.
