Our hardware: Voliro T and DJI in the field

Voliro T: measurement drone for lightning protection

The Voliro T is a specialised inspection drone that can physically position itself against components and dock there, for example at air-termination components and blade tips of a wind turbine. It is therefore not a conventional multicopter but a flying measurement platform. DDI uses it for lightning protection measurement to IEC 61400-24. The 4-pole measurement is factory-integrated; DDI supplements it with a proprietary high-voltage testing method to make all common turbine types testable. DDI is among the most experienced operators of the Voliro T worldwide. One of our pilots had the highest number of flight hours with the system globally in the past year. More on the measurement method under /en/technik/drohnenbasierte-blitzschutzmessung.

High-resolution DJI camera drone for visual inspection

For visual rotor blade inspection DDI uses a high-resolution DJI camera drone with an industrial camera. Combined with the automated flight paths per turbine type, it enables consistent image quality across all deployments. Defects from just a few millimetres in size are reliably documentable. Manual flight operations are also available for special requirements.

Operating limits

• Wind speed on site: up to 12 m/s. Above that the flight window is rescheduled.
• Precipitation: rain, sleet and fog postpone the deployment. Flight operations require a dry rotor blade.
• Temperature: deployments across the usual European temperature range; extreme subzero conditions or icing postpone the flight.
• Visibility: only in suitable visibility, compliant with the aviation rules of the respective country of operation.

Why two different systems?

Lightning protection measurement and visual inspection have different requirements. Lightning protection measurement requires physical contact with air-termination components and precise resistance measurement: that is what the Voliro T, as a measurement drone, provides. Visual inspection requires high flight performance, long flight times and high-resolution cameras: that is what the high-resolution DJI camera drone delivers. A single system capable of both does not currently exist. By deploying two specialised systems deliberately, quality per inspection stays high, and both inspections can nevertheless be completed in one deployment per turbine.