“We use ultrasonics to control the atomic structure of the metal we’re 3D printing. This is something no one else can do… It’s similar to ultrasonic cleaners that push dirt from your rings or glasses. We just do it at the atomic level.”

“One such drone is the Elios 3, designed and manufactured by Swiss company Flyability and used by major industry players like Veolia. Equipped as standard with a protective cage, impact-resistant exoskeleton, 16,000-lumen lighting rig, 4K camera and lidar, it can navigate through dark and dusty pipes while creating a live 3D model of the environment. The modular design means it can also be fitted with specialized payloads like explosive gas sensors or ultrasonic thickness gauges.

Eloise McMinn Mitchell, communication manager at Flyability, says that the company is seeing huge sales growth as a result of the Elios 3’s capabilities and efficiency versus in-person human inspections, particularly when it comes to sewers. “To inspect a stretch of sewer underneath a road, you’ll need teams of at least four people and have to divert traffic in multiple locations. With the drone, you just need two people, and nobody has to climb into the sewer, eliminating confined space risks and exposure to hazardous environments.”