In the drone
Dr Adrien Briod, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Flyability, talks to Danielle Kenneally
A MASTER of his craft, Flyability’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Dr Adrien Briod knows about drones. Following an MSc in robotics at one of Switzerland’s leading technical universities, the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), as well as Harvard University, Adrien pursued a PhD at EPFL (Laboratory of Intelligent Systems) during which he developed and patented novel approaches for creating safe, collision-tolerant robotics to access inaccessible places dangerous for humans.
An expert in all aspects of flying robot technology, including mechanical, electrical and software engineering, he talks to the Civil Engineering Surveyor’s Danielle Kenneally about the journey so far.
How did your passion for robotics develop into a start-up?
I studied microengineering and robotics throughout my education, with my PhD thesis research on drones. It was during my PhD that the Fukushima disaster happened and it was the impact with which robotics could have on the nuclear industry that was, in part, the driver for the focus of my research on drones that can survive collisions in confined spaces.
It was during my PhD that the Fukushima disaster happened and it was the impact with which robotics could have on the nuclear industry that was, in part, the driver for the focus of my research on drones that can survive collisions in confined spaces.
It was initially just research on a novel idea of drones but then I started looking into the development of technology which would allow drones to bounce off objects and obstacles. By the end of my PhD there was so much feedback about the idea that I realised it needed to be explored further, so along with Patrick (Thevoz – co-founder and CEO), my cousin, we decided to create Flyability.
Tell us about Flyability then, what does it do and what is its vision?
Our vision is that humans should no longer be doing dangerous jobs that, thanks to the evolution of technology, robots could do. For us, at Flyability, this meant developing drones that can be deployed in difficult and often hazardous and dangerous indoor spaces for visual inspections. Alongside GPS-mapped visual data, we’re able to provide 3D modelling, thermal imagery, radiation detection and now with the new ultrasonic thickness payload application, corrosion detection and monitoring. These applications are important for the power generation industry, including nuclear power plants, gas, hydro and wind turbines. As well as underground mines, big ships, sewer systems and so many more.
In the last 10 years, we’ve really pioneered the indoor drone commercial space. I would say before Flyability, you would never have heard of a drone flying indoors commercially. In fact, it would have sounded crazy because drones were crashing on impact when they hit an obstacle, so we came up with this innovation that allowed drones to survive these complex indoor conditions.
When Fukushima happened, technology was still really limited in what it was able to do – we could fly around but not inside the nuclear reactor. Our vision is to solve the big problems of asset inspection and maintenance more safely. The industry can be conservative, so it will take some convincing, but making industry safer is what is most rewarding to us, we are here to help.
As Flyability’s co-founder and chief technology officer, you’re responsible for this vision. What has the journey to implement it been like up until this point?
Our vision has been like the North Star. We know what our longterm vision is and it provides direction but it’s about finding the right next project for our end users. We’re very pragmatic and while it’s important to have a vision, it’s also important to be grounded in reality. We spend a lot of time with our clients, testing prototypes so we can adjust development and understand what will work and what won’t. We want the final launched product to be successful, reliable in the field and solving real problems. It’s been an amazing journey and one which I think our success can, in large, be put down to our client’s input and how we work together to develop as a company and the products we create for them.
Awards have also been huge for us, especially in the company’s infancy. From most successful robotic spin off at NCCR Robotics to RATP Lab winner at Viva Technology, it’s been amazing. They often come with prize money, along with great publicity and it’s a huge boost. The big milestone for us was to win the UAE Drones for Good Award which came with a USm prize and helped us deliver our vision. Now it’s the industry awards which make us proud, such as the Innovation Award at the 2023 World Nuclear Exhibition – seeing our technology recognised by industry professionals is hugely rewarding.
How has the perception of drone technology on the part of users and even the public changed over the years?
Our vision is that humans should no longer be doing dangerous jobs that, thanks to the evolution of technology, robots could do.
It was the success and mass adoption of consumer drones, which around 10 years ago, saw drone companies, besides the ones working in the military space, begin to form. What has tremendously evolved more recently is the commercial side, with more and more commercial drones being adopted. The commercial industries are slower but this is due to the conservative nature of adoptees and also what I’d classify as the higher needs of the industry – there’s more expectation on the reliability of features.
There are now more specialised industry drone companies though for sure. We, ourselves, are also more than a drone company, we’re an inspection solutions company. However, I think it will be another five to 10 years before the full potential is reached.
How has the drone industry responded to the needs of companies, particularly within the infrastructure space?
Companies need as little surprises as possible as there’s generally no downtime, so drones are really just a tool to help them achieve this safely. For infrastructure or asset companies to operate well there needs to be as much data collected as possible in a short amount of time during shutdowns. Our drones, for instance, really help these companies to collect and understand the state of their assets and monitor their health. This can all be done without somebody needing to access dangerous or confined spaces. The data can then developed into 3D models, along with thermal imagery radiation maps and ultrasonic thickness measurements to plan maintenance and the right workflows. It’s all about responding to the needs of companies and the safety of their workforce is essential, so we help both.
Do you have any new technologies that you’re excited to share?
We’ve recently developed the Elios 3 UT Payload which for us is a huge deal as, complementary to the visual and lidar surveys, it provides thickness measurements in remote conditions. It works by using ultrasonic signals on the object to measure the speed of sound, the echo and how long it takes to return. Corrosion can cause leaks and lead to catastrophic consequences, so with the help of this new technology we can enable the safe monitoring of assets, such as for those within the maritime industry and the oil and gas industry.
We’re excited to have finally developed it because while we’ve been working on it for the last five years, the idea has been on our radar for the last 10 years. It was a very complex project, especially to integrate the technology to a drone and it took a lot of iterations due to the payload and the contact it needs to make, so to see it begin to be used and make this often dangerous task safer is hugely rewarding.
It must also be hugely rewarding to see your company grow and drone technology evolve – what has been your proudest moment?
Robots, much like AI, will one day become the ‘aha’ moment, roaming autonomously onsite. We’re not there yet but we’re excited to be in this robotic space and contribute to bringing it forward.
There’s been so many proud moments – releasing a product is always one of them but it’s hard to pick which is your favourite product, the launch of Elios 1, Elios 2, and Elios 3 were landmark moments for me and the company. Our latest proudest moment though was the launch of the UT Payload – we really see a lot of potential in how it can help the industry.
What has it been like to work with and share these experiences with family?
Developing Flyability has been a tough ride, so to have a really solid partner like Patrick, who I can trust beside me, to launch it together as cousins, has been the key to success. It’s definitely something I wouldn’t have done alone. In fact, I also work with my wife who is part of our sales team. I’m not involved much in sales though so we don’t really see each other much at work, but it’s great to work alongside her and share these experiences as she has been amazingly supportive throughout this adventure, which is another key to success.
What more could the future hold?
We’re still in the infancy of this technology and we can expect some massive changes in the coming years. Of course, the more we mature, the more the changes will be iterative but nonetheless, there’s still so much to do on delivering new payloads, new sensors and new capabilities for drones. On the software front, we’re looking at AI and autonomy to deliver on the clients’ needs.
Robots, much like AI, will one day become the ‘aha’ moment, roaming autonomously onsite. We’re not there yet but we’re excited to be in this robotic space and contribute to bringing it forward.
Dr Adrien Briod, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Flyability, spoke to Danielle Kenneally