NASA awarded Pittsburgh-based Near Earth Autonomy a contract to develop drone systems for industrial infrastructure inspection, according to a news release.
The company said current methods are resource heavy and dangerous for workers. Neart Earth Autonomy aims to develop a system that provides contact measurements and macro-imagery for safer, faster inspections and recommendations.
The contract is in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University’s AIR Lab.
“Our value proposition is to improve safety, accuracy, and efficiency in industrial and aerospace infrastructure inspection with sUAS-based close-proximity imaging and contact sensing,” Near Earth Autonomy CEO Dr. Sanjiv Singh, said in a prepared statement. “Our partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, and deep relationships with industrial leaders make us uniquely positioned to bring world-class contact sensing drone systems to the inspection market.”