Drone Interference

Drones are increasingly being used to inspect utilities such as pipelines and power grids and infrastructure such as cell towers. A recent study by Navigant Research reported that power grid companies alone are expected to spend $13 billion per year on drones and robotics by 2026. There is such strong interest in using drones for inspections because these same power companies lose about $170 billion per year due to network failures and shutdowns according to PwC. Drones can perform inspections at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. At EMA, we have the expertise to help companies understand the impact of the electromagnetic environment on drones being deployed for a wide variety of applications. In the movie below, a drone is used to inspect a cell tower antenna. As can be seen, the signal from the cell tower antenna exceeds the interference threshold for the drone receiver and causes it to return home before completing the inspection. EMA helps our customers design and deploy drones so that they operate successfully in their electromagnetic environments. We have decades of experience analyzing complex electromagnetic and RF problems for a wide variety of industries and applications. Contact us today to learn how we can help solve your most challenging problems.