TechEasyJeteasyjet dronesdrone strikes

EasyJet Is Switching To Drones (To Inspect Its Aircraft)

EasyJet Is Switching To Drones
The Huffington Post UK
|

EasyJet is switching to drones.

But don't worry - they're not ditching their pilots just yet. They're actually just using the craft to inspect their planes.

EasyJet hopes to introduce the drones as early as next year following trials in the next few months.

The drones will be programmed to scan and assess the carrier's fleet of Airbus A319 and A320 planes, reporting back to engineers on any damage which may require further inspection or maintenance work.

EasyJet is working with the Coptercraft and Measurement Solutions companies as well as Bristol Robotics Laboratory on modifying existing technology so it can bring in the drones.

EasyJet's engineering head Ian Davies said: "Drone technology could be used extremely effectively to help us perform aircraft checks.

"Checks that would usually take more than a day could be performed in a couple of hours and potentially with greater accuracy."

12 Companies Cashing In On Drones
Boeing(01 of10)
Open Image Modal
Boeing has its hands in a lot of drone technology. In June, the company successfully completed a test flight of one of its drones that is meant to stay airborne for days, according to CBS News. Boeing, headed by CEO Jim McNerney, Jr., estimated that it took home $80.5 billion in revenue last year, according Reuters. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this slide incorrectly stated that a Boeing drone flew from Maryland to California. The drone actually flew around an Air Force base in California. (credit:Getty Images)
Lockheed Martin(02 of10)
Open Image Modal
Lockheed Martin completed tests in July of a "Stalker" drone that stays airborne for 48 hours, according to Endgadget. The company came under fire after sponsoring a documentary on PBS about drones. Lockheed Martin, headed by CEO Marillyn Hewson, took home $47.2 billion in 2012. (credit:Getty Images)
Northrop Grumman(03 of10)
Open Image Modal
Northrop Grumman is helping to expand the drone business to the Asia-Pacific region. Late last year, the company sold $1.2 billion worth of drones to South Korea, according to Bloomberg. Northrop Grumman's profits rose 80 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. The company is headed by CEO Wes Bush. (credit:Getty Images)
AeroVironment(04 of10)
Open Image Modal
AeroVironment is developing the "Hummingbird drone" for the Pentagon, according to Aol News. But don't let its cute name fool you; the device can hover and perch to watch your every move and aims to someday bolster surveillance capabilities in urban areas, according to Delaware online. Despite the scary yet innovative technology, AeroVironment, which is run by CEO Timothy Conver, is projecting its revenue to drop to $230 million in the upcoming fiscal year, according to Forbes. (credit:AP)
Prox Dynamics AS(05 of10)
Open Image Modal
This Norway-based company, founded by Petter Muran in December 2007, developed the Black Hornet Nano, a mini-handheld helicopter that helps soldiers survey an area swiftly by flying at top speeds for up to 30 minutes, according to Gizmag. The UK gave some soldiers the Black Hornet Nanos to use in Afghanistan earlier this month, according to the Associated Press. The Hornet was part of a $31 million contract. (credit:AP)
Denel Dynamics(06 of10)
Open Image Modal
Denel Dynamics, which is part of South Africa's biggest maker of defense equipment, has seen its sales boom 20 percent in the last four years, according to Money News. Sello Ntsihlele, the company's executive manager for drone technology, called the current climate "the best time" for drones, because demand is increasing in the Middle East, East Asia and Africa. Denel Dyanmics Missiles took home $68,228,037 in 2012, which was down from 2011. Executives argued that Denel has historically posted losses because of onerous contracts. (credit:AP)
SAIC(07 of10)
Open Image Modal
This company is helping the Pentagon develop underwater drones to defend against ultra-quiet submarines, according to Money Morning. SAIC, who is run by Chairman John Jumper, took home $2.87 billion in revenue during the third quarter of last year, up 3 percent from the year before. (Pictured: An Iranian submarine) (credit:Getty Images)
Israeli Aerospace Industries(08 of10)
Open Image Modal
Israeli Aerospace Industries pioneered the technology used for drones in the 1970s, according to Agence France Presse. Tommy Silberring, the head of the company's drone division, said increased demand around the world is boosting the drone market, as more countries want to go to war without putting their soldiers at risk. The drone sector is poised to become an $11.3 billion industry over the next decade, according to the Teal Group. (credit:Getty Images)
Textron(09 of10)
Open Image Modal
The military's appetite for drones helped Textron's defense business score a year-over-year revenue jump of $61 million, according to Mass High Tech, even as the rest of its business struggled. The drones have been so successful that the company, run by CEO Ellen Lord, is developing technology for unmanned underwater vehicles like the one pictured, according to the AP. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post misidentified the CEO of Textron Systems. Ellen Lord is the company's CEO. (credit:AP)
General Dynamics(10 of10)
Open Image Modal
General Dynamics is one of the major donors to the Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus (unofficially known as the drone caucus), according to KPBS. Yes, that really does exist. The company, run by CEO Jay Johnson, reported a $2 billion loss in January, citing defense spending cuts, according to the Washington Post. (credit:AP)

Dr Arthur Richards, head of aerial robotics at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, a partnership between the University of Bristol and the University of West England, said: "Aircraft inspection is a great application for drones. Coupled with smart navigation and computer vision, they can get accurate data from really awkward places.

"We look forward to working with easyJet to develop safe, effective and efficient drone systems for this challenge."

EasyJet also announced today that it was looking at deploying new technology to enable a remote engineering team to see exactly what a pilot or engineer is seeing using virtual reality glasses.

The glasses use the world's first high definition see-through display system, providing augmented reality to help easyJet remotely diagnose a technical issue.

This technology will be especially useful in some of the airline's more remote airports across its network. The airline currently flies to 138 airports with some as far away as the Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt and Tel Aviv in Israel.

In addition, the carrier is bringing in special apps designed to aid engineers and pilots in key tasks and is also making its flights paperless.

EasyJet chief executive Carolyn McCall said: "We have examined and assessed cutting edge technology across many different industries and are now applying a range of new technologies to the aviation sector for the first time to help us run our fleet of aircraft more effectively, efficiently and safely."

Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip