Radiation Surveying: Elios 3 Indoor Inspection Drone Gets New Payload

Flyability and Mirion Technologies Partner for Radiation Survey Payload for Elios 3

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Indoor drone company Flyability, in partnership with radiation detection leader Mirion Technologies, has announced the launch of a radiation surveying payload for the Elios 3 indoor inspection drone.

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By integrating the Mirion RDS-32™ radiation survey meter onto Flyability’s Elios 3, this new solution lets users map the environment while gathering radiological data to be localized in a high-resolution 3D model of their asset.

With this integration, the Elios 3 is the first commercially available drone capable of remotely operated indoor radiation surveying and localization. It provides nuclear personnel with a safe method of collecting data without entering irradiated areas.

“This partnership between two market leaders is an important step towards the specialization of Elios 3 to provide full solutions in our main markets,” said Flyability CEO Patrick Thévoz. “The months of field testing in nuclear facilities has proved that this product will strongly contribute to our mission of increasing safety through robotics.”

This integration includes a new widget for Elios 3’s piloting app, Cockpit, providing the pilot with a live reading of the sensor featuring current dose rate to characterize radiation sources, cumulated dose to allow for radiation planning, and measurement history to visualize measurement trend and search for higher radiation sources. In addition, the live map has been upgraded to colorize the drone trajectory based on the recorded level of radiation.

Each flight can be reviewed to create reports using Flyability’s data processing software, Inspector. The radiation data is shown on a 3D map of the asset indicating the drone’s trajectory, radiation levels along the flight path, cumulated dose over a selected portion of the flight, and specific dose rate measured at points of interest.

“By combining the confident, precise measurement of our RDS-32 survey meter with the accessibility of the Elios 3 drone, we’ve taken nuclear operator safety to the next level,” said Mirion Technologies Group President Loic Eloy. “We are proud of this partnership with Flyability and its reinforcement of our commitment to advancing radiation safety through innovation.”

The integration underwent rigorous testing at nuclear sites across the United States and Europe, used by Radiological Protection Specialist and UAS Program Managers to conduct operations such as monitoring hydraulic leaks and measuring dose rates. Additionally, the Elios 3 has been tested for radiation resistance in a project with the DOE and the Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC). The Elios 3 demonstrated resistance to radiation up to 10,000 R/h and a cumulated dose of 4,000 R.

Read more:

• Collecting Radiation Data with Drones: Flyability Collaborates with Mirion Technologies
• Flyability Funding: More than $22 Million for Makers of Elios Indoor Inspection Platform
• For the Dark, Dirty and Dangerous, Flyability Elios 3 LiDAR Drone: Check Out this Fly Through a Decommissioned Nuclear Plant
• Drones for Wastewater Inspection: Flyability and WinCan Partner [VIDEO]

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.