JACKSON, Miss. (Aug. 23, 2016) – Neel-Schaffer is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Talon Aerolytics, a national leader in drone and data capture technology, to provide innovative inspection services on elevated structures using unmanned aerial vehicles.
Neel-Schaffer’s engineers and technicians support Talon’s drone pilots in capturing information from structures such as cell towers. Working with the wireless unit of C Spire, a Mississippi-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company, the team is performing inspections and site audits, capturing high-resolution imagery of tower conditions and installation information that previously could be seen only by a tower-climbing crew.
Drones provide a bird’s eye view of the structures and equipment, offering major advancements in the accessibility of up-close, 360-degree visual information that engineers need to evaluate the condition of the towers.
In addition to tower inspections, the Neel-Schaffer/Talon team is capturing ground data needed for developing construction drawings and documenting as-built conditions. This collaboration has enhanced the usability of the data for engineering purposes.
Talon uses military-grade drones, such as the Aeryon Sky Ranger. Data and video captured is housed in Talon’s Collaborative Content Management System, a Cloud-based secure database that clients and users can view.
The team has flown over 200 towers in C Spire’s network, performing engineering site audits, construction closeouts, line-of-sight tests, infrared imagery, and quality audits. C Spire’s radio-frequency engineers, construction managers, and real estate specialists are using the data to enhance network performance and to safely and efficiently add new equipment that will bring 4G and even 5G technologies online.
