Asset and infrastructure management requires consistent monitoring to uncover and address issues like pipeline leaks, vegetation encroachment and weather-induced damage. If you maintain, service or operate power lines, substations, road infrastructure, piping or other assets, you will be aware of the hurdles involved in watching hundreds of miles of infrastructure. Some imaging-based monitoring solutions exist, but they are either infrequent, low resolution, or cannot cover large perimeters.
Enter Near Space Labs’ daily, high resolution imaging. At Near Space Labs we have developed a high-altitude flying platform capable of imaging large areas in a single high resolution capture. This unprecedented technology is changing the aerial imaging market and unlocking new opportunities for all types of infrastructure monitoring. In this article we examine recent images captured by our system in Austin, TX, and how you could use them to keep track of all your infrastructure.
Flood management, repairs and production at power plants
The Tom Miller Dam in the Colorado river is fundamental for electric generation and flood management in the Austin area. Recently, it has been under construction to replace the dam’s original floodgates. Have a look at the state of the progress as of August 2019. The yellow outline marks the substations on both sides, the construction platform and the power lines across. With this image you can also check the water levels and note that the flood gates are shut at the moment. Sign-up here and get access to this imagery.
Detail of the Austin Dam Substation and Tom Miller Dam Power Station on the right shore as captured by Near Space Labs’ Swift platform, Aug 2019.
Track dangerous vegetation encroachment on power lines
Several times a week, we capture miles of suburban power lines. Near Space Labs imagery can help utility companies plan for network maintenance and conduct risk analysis. Let us help you identify areas with high risk of vegetation encroachment, so you can decide how to schedule and organize your maintenance crews. The captures below are just a short collection of what’s possible with our imagery.
The Montopolis bridge construction work in Austin, TX as captured by Near Space Labs’ Swift platform. Note the power line crossing the river, and the addition of lanes to the bridge.
Suburban substation with a solar plant and power lines leading into the urbanized areas. Source Near Space Labs
Power lines crossing unpopulated areas. Note the preserved buffer zone of vegetation marked yellow and the dangerous vegetation growth in the area marked with red. Source Near Space Labs
Monitor water treatment
The update rate of Near Space lab’s imagery renders other sources like Google Maps obsolete. Consider the Ullrich Water treatment plant. Left, a snapshot from the most recent Google Maps imagery. Right, Near Space Labs capture. As you can see, five of the clarifier and sedimentation tanks have changed from being used to under cleaning, or vice-versa. These or any other insights that change with time are impossible to obtain with infrequent open source imagery, and still difficult to gather through aerial campaigns, satellites or drones, due to the technical and access limitations of these systems. Near Space Labs flies continuously over your locations of interest. The imagery that you need is already there.
Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, ATX. Google on the left, Near Space Labs on the right.
You can explore how this looks and integrates with your own workflow for free by joining our Early Adopters Program! The program allows you to download thousands of high resolution imagery samples, with direct technical support from our team. Request access to our API and manage your own discovery, or alternatively have us support you step-by-step.
