POWER -- getting drones off the ground

Drone Ops. Opposite: From left to right, POWER-Clarkston’s Ryan Otto, Jason Pfaff and Charlie Koenig take one of POWER’s

DRONES DRONES GROUND GROUND

unmanned aerial systems,

GETTING GETTING OFF OFFTHE THE

the rotorcraft, for a test.

Left: an example of the type of simulation that can be crafted from photos taken by the rotorcraft.

O

POWER explores new frontier in in data acquisition POWER explores new frontier data acquisition

ver the past year or so, POWER has been testing two

By Kate Wutz

By Kate Wutz

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones.

Each works differently and with different strengths, but they both collect a ton of visual data—in the form of video or photography— and turn it into 3D models and visualizations that clients can use for a huge variety of projects.

A personal project

The process started in earnest when POWER-Clarkston’s Jason Pfaff, visualization services DM, used a personal drone to collect data to model changes to an intersection for the Ada County Highway District.

“POWER wasn’t set-up to operate drones,” says Pfaff.

The concern was that drones, if handled improperly, can crash and cause damage. One recently crashed into a transmission line in California, knocking out power to 700 buildings. In addition, they can’t be used for commercial purposes without first obtaining what’s known as a 333 exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

To get around that requirement, Pfaff took his own personal drone and obtained the data he needed, then donated the footage to the District. The District then gave the information to POWER’s visualization group, who used it for their project.

The client was thrilled with the results. Pfaff then used the experience to build an initial business case for POWERmanagement review.

“The drone footage was so successful that it proved there was a use for it,” says Pfaff. “Once people started understanding the value, I think they were on board.”

“The drone footage was so successful that it proved there was a use for it,” says Pfaff.

PHOTO: CHARLIE KOENIG

4 Surges March 2016

Gaining support

POWER-Boise’s Aaron Ames, GIS DM, was way ahead of the game. Ames had been approached several years ago by a company in Hailey that used drones for videography and was interested in working with POWER. “I had been thinking about drones and reading a lot of literature about them in GIS and survey magazines,” says Ames. “I got to talking with them, and I said, ‘This is really cool, but what we’re really interested in is how to use this for engineering.’”

The consultants worked with Ames for a bit, exploring various options, until half of the company was sold. At that point, Ames began to wonder about how drones could fit in at POWER. “There was a side conversation that was, ‘Why do we need to contract this? Why can’t we do this ourselves?’” says Ames. “We started talking more about purchasing a system and developing a business.”

March 2016 Surges 5

Drone Ops. Opposite: From left to right, POWER-Clarkston’s Ryan Otto, Jason Pfaff and Charlie Koenig take one of POWER’s

DRONES DRONES GROUND GROUND

unmanned aerial systems,

GETTING GETTING OFF OFFTHE THE

the rotorcraft, for a test.

Left: an example of the type of simulation that can be crafted from photos taken by the rotorcraft.

O

POWER explores new frontier in in data acquisition POWER explores new frontier data acquisition

ver the past year or so, POWER has been testing two

By Kate Wutz

By Kate Wutz

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones.

Each works differently and with different strengths, but they both collect a ton of visual data—in the form of video or photography— and turn it into 3D models and visualizations that clients can use for a huge variety of projects.

A personal project

The process started in earnest when POWER-Clarkston’s Jason Pfaff, visualization services DM, used a personal drone to collect data to model changes to an intersection for the Ada County Highway District.

“POWER wasn’t set-up to operate drones,” says Pfaff.

The concern was that drones, if handled improperly, can crash and cause damage. One recently crashed into a transmission line in California, knocking out power to 700 buildings. In addition, they can’t be used for commercial purposes without first obtaining what’s known as a 333 exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

To get around that requirement, Pfaff took his own personal drone and obtained the data he needed, then donated the footage to the District. The District then gave the information to POWER’s visualization group, who used it for their project.

The client was thrilled with the results. Pfaff then used the experience to build an initial business case for POWERmanagement review.

“The drone footage was so successful that it proved there was a use for it,” says Pfaff. “Once people started understanding the value, I think they were on board.”

“The drone footage was so successful that it proved there was a use for it,” says Pfaff.

PHOTO: CHARLIE KOENIG

4 Surges March 2016

Gaining support

POWER-Boise’s Aaron Ames, GIS DM, was way ahead of the game. Ames had been approached several years ago by a company in Hailey that used drones for videography and was interested in working with POWER. “I had been thinking about drones and reading a lot of literature about them in GIS and survey magazines,” says Ames. “I got to talking with them, and I said, ‘This is really cool, but what we’re really interested in is how to use this for engineering.’”

The consultants worked with Ames for a bit, exploring various options, until half of the company was sold. At that point, Ames began to wonder about how drones could fit in at POWER. “There was a side conversation that was, ‘Why do we need to contract this? Why can’t we do this ourselves?’” says Ames. “We started talking more about purchasing a system and developing a business.”

March 2016 Surges 5

Fixed-wing.

Far left: POWER-Boise’s Aaron Aames sets up a flight path for the Sensefly eBee, POWER’s fixed-wing drone. Next image: an example of the flight path. The fixedwing will travel in a grid pattern, taking over 200 photos over this 30-acre parcel.

3D model.

Left: a 3D model of a bridge over Boise’s Lucky Peak Reservoir developed from the overlapping photos captured by the eBee. Right: a still photo of the terrain from the same angle. The entire model will later be completed using the rotorcraft PHOTO: STEVEN HAUSLER, SUNFLOWER ELECTRIC POWER CORP.

Pfaff and Ames joined forces on a feasibility study in early 2015 to lay out the case for or against POWER’s drone use. Included on the team was POWER-Hailey’s Garth VanHorn, PCI construction DM; POWER-Boise’s Greg Reed, corporate safety director; POWER-Hailey’s Lynnette Roberts, insurance administrator, and POWER-Oradell’s Andrew Ratzkin, deputy general counsel.

They were backed by POWER CEO Bret Moffett and POWER Executive VP Bill Hansen, whom Pfaff said was instrumental in providing the funding for two drones for the crew to test.

“Bill was our champion,” says Pfaff.

Adding value

PHOTO: AARON AMES (EMOTION FLIGHT SOFTWARE)

“In utility work, drones are very likely to entirely replace manned aviation [for surveying and inspection] because they are so much less expensive,” says Kumm.

Drone data can also be turned around more quickly and processing can sometimes take place within the next 24 hours.

“We can get out there, do [the flight] in an afternoon, and get you the data by the next day,” says Ames.

This makes drones ideal for a routing project, where a route may change several times over the course of the project. Drones can be used to fly and model the changed segments of the route more quickly and inexpensively for the client, without the two to fourweek turnaround required by more traditional imaging.

POWER was on the leading edge of technology when it began using helicopters and LiDAR technology for 3D modeling, accord- Fixed-wings and GIS ing to Hansen, and moving to drone technology just makes sense. So far, POWER’s been testing two drones, one designed to work “Acquisition of accurate data and information is always impor- mostly for GIS data and terrain modeling and one that works better tant for an engineering firm,” says for visualization, structural analysis Hansen. “As with our other endeavand other more detailed work. ors in advanced technology, we’re really The first is a fixed-wing system, a excited to add value to our clients.”

1.5-pound craft known as a Sensefly POWER-Clarkston’s John Kumm, eBee, that can fly for up to 40 minutes SAS BUD (and licensed private pilot), collecting GIS data, aerial images, has also been a major advocate for this thermal images and near-infrared program and said the drones can access images. projects traditional aircraft can’t, and According to Ames, this drone at a lower cost to clients. can be used to create site and corridor “They provide the ability to visually maps, which can help POWER aid access positions around equipment that a person can’t do from the clients in vegetation management inspections, disaster analysis ground,” says Kumm, citing the possibility for doing an inspection and construction monitoring. of a transmission line without scheduling an outage. “It’s not safe Pfaff added that the thermal imaging can be used to monitor hot or not possible to put a person in the same position.” spots for substation and other equipment applications as well. Ames’ Another benefit? Drones are inexpensive. Though Hansen pro- most recent test project with this drone was a model of a bridge in vided between $50,000 and $80,000 in funding to purchase the Ada County, located over the Mores Creek arm of Lucky Peak. drone systems, the drones will bill out to clients for about $400 to Using a program called eMotion, Ames developed a flight path $800 an hour. As a comparison, helicopters and other aircraft used over a 30-acre area, over which the drone shot 200 pictures and for traditional data gathering bill out at $1,200 an hour. collected as many GIS data points. These points and photos were

“They provide the ability to visually access positions around equipment that a person can’t do from the ground,” says Kumm.

6 Surges March 2016

PHOTO: AARON AMES (POSTFLIGHT TERRA 3D)

PHOTO: AARON AMES (FROM EBEE UAS)

processed using a program called Postflight Terra 3D, which created an incredibly detailed 3D model of the area.

“It’s pretty cool, and it’s a lot of fun,” says Ames. “The trick, though, is it’s not so easy to get all of the parameters right, to get the overlap right for different kinds of terrain. It’s easy to fly, but you have to know what you’re doing to get the data you need for the right product at the end.”

That’s where POWER excels in being able to pinpoint the required data and process it in ways that can be useful to clients.

“We’re fortunate to have a major differentiator in our visualization department’s ability to process and develop these 3D models,” says Hansen. “We’re better positioned to leverage this information than any of our competition.”

Rotorcraft

to model the bridge’s underside.

crash. We can get really close to a transmission line and get in there and take pictures of the line itself.”

Of course, what Pfaff is also excited about is the rotorcraft’s ability to take amazing videos and photos for visualization and public outreach purposes, for photosimulations and photoboards.

“The photography and video is like Hollywood-type information,” says Pfaff. “It’s really high-quality, really professional.”

What’s next?

POWER is in the midst of applying for an FAA 333 exemption, which would allow the team to use these drones for commercial purposes. The process is long, requires a supervisor with a pilot’s license, and there is no guarantee of approval. But Pfaff and Kumm say they are hoping to gain the exemption by March of this year.

If POWER gains the exemption, Pfaff said the team will still take a conservative approach to drone use. Several members of the team are working to earn recreational pilots’ licenses, and Ames said he’s working to ensure POWER does the testing required to work out any potential kinks before hiring drone services out to clients.

However, those clients are chomping at the bit to get started.

“We’re getting requests almost daily about using UASs in our projects,” says Pfaff. “It’s a really big deal, and I think it’s going to be a differentiator. There is a lot of excitement, and our clients really want to understand and experiment with these things along with us.”

Even to the untrained eye, however, the model of the Mores Creek bridge has one glaring omission.

The structure under the bridge, a series of cross-beams, is shown as a wavy gray blur with very little detail.

That’s an example of why the company needs the rotorcraft, its second drone. This UAS is lifted by eight propellers and capable of carrying high-resolution photography and video equipment. The fixed-wing also has a camera, but it only shoots straight down.

The rotorcraft can shoot video and stills from an angle, due to a stabilizing suspension system called a “gimbal.” The rotorcraft can hover in one place and fly with extreme precision, making it possible to model structures such as the Mores Creek bridge, lattice towers Kate Wutz is a marketing and proposal development coordinator in and construction sites, or even to inspect single transmission lines. Hailey for the Power Delivery Division.

“It’s the safer way to inspect lines and construction sites,” says Pfaff. “We have to get up and take photos out of helicopters right now, and it’s very expensive. This reduces the risk of a helicopter

“It’s easy to fly, but you have to know what you’re doing to get the data you need for the right product at the end.”

March 2016 Surges 7

Fixed-wing.

Far left: POWER-Boise’s Aaron Aames sets up a flight path for the Sensefly eBee, POWER’s fixed-wing drone. Next image: an example of the flight path. The fixedwing will travel in a grid pattern, taking over 200 photos over this 30-acre parcel.

3D model.

Left: a 3D model of a bridge over Boise’s Lucky Peak Reservoir developed from the overlapping photos captured by the eBee. Right: a still photo of the terrain from the same angle. The entire model will later be completed using the rotorcraft PHOTO: STEVEN HAUSLER, SUNFLOWER ELECTRIC POWER CORP.

Pfaff and Ames joined forces on a feasibility study in early 2015 to lay out the case for or against POWER’s drone use. Included on the team was POWER-Hailey’s Garth VanHorn, PCI construction DM; POWER-Boise’s Greg Reed, corporate safety director; POWER-Hailey’s Lynnette Roberts, insurance administrator, and POWER-Oradell’s Andrew Ratzkin, deputy general counsel.

They were backed by POWER CEO Bret Moffett and POWER Executive VP Bill Hansen, whom Pfaff said was instrumental in providing the funding for two drones for the crew to test.

“Bill was our champion,” says Pfaff.

Adding value

PHOTO: AARON AMES (EMOTION FLIGHT SOFTWARE)

“In utility work, drones are very likely to entirely replace manned aviation [for surveying and inspection] because they are so much less expensive,” says Kumm.

Drone data can also be turned around more quickly and processing can sometimes take place within the next 24 hours.

“We can get out there, do [the flight] in an afternoon, and get you the data by the next day,” says Ames.

This makes drones ideal for a routing project, where a route may change several times over the course of the project. Drones can be used to fly and model the changed segments of the route more quickly and inexpensively for the client, without the two to fourweek turnaround required by more traditional imaging.

POWER was on the leading edge of technology when it began using helicopters and LiDAR technology for 3D modeling, accord- Fixed-wings and GIS ing to Hansen, and moving to drone technology just makes sense. So far, POWER’s been testing two drones, one designed to work “Acquisition of accurate data and information is always impor- mostly for GIS data and terrain modeling and one that works better tant for an engineering firm,” says for visualization, structural analysis Hansen. “As with our other endeavand other more detailed work. ors in advanced technology, we’re really The first is a fixed-wing system, a excited to add value to our clients.”

1.5-pound craft known as a Sensefly POWER-Clarkston’s John Kumm, eBee, that can fly for up to 40 minutes SAS BUD (and licensed private pilot), collecting GIS data, aerial images, has also been a major advocate for this thermal images and near-infrared program and said the drones can access images. projects traditional aircraft can’t, and According to Ames, this drone at a lower cost to clients. can be used to create site and corridor “They provide the ability to visually maps, which can help POWER aid access positions around equipment that a person can’t do from the clients in vegetation management inspections, disaster analysis ground,” says Kumm, citing the possibility for doing an inspection and construction monitoring. of a transmission line without scheduling an outage. “It’s not safe Pfaff added that the thermal imaging can be used to monitor hot or not possible to put a person in the same position.” spots for substation and other equipment applications as well. Ames’ Another benefit? Drones are inexpensive. Though Hansen pro- most recent test project with this drone was a model of a bridge in vided between $50,000 and $80,000 in funding to purchase the Ada County, located over the Mores Creek arm of Lucky Peak. drone systems, the drones will bill out to clients for about $400 to Using a program called eMotion, Ames developed a flight path $800 an hour. As a comparison, helicopters and other aircraft used over a 30-acre area, over which the drone shot 200 pictures and for traditional data gathering bill out at $1,200 an hour. collected as many GIS data points. These points and photos were

“They provide the ability to visually access positions around equipment that a person can’t do from the ground,” says Kumm.

6 Surges March 2016

PHOTO: AARON AMES (POSTFLIGHT TERRA 3D)

PHOTO: AARON AMES (FROM EBEE UAS)

processed using a program called Postflight Terra 3D, which created an incredibly detailed 3D model of the area.

“It’s pretty cool, and it’s a lot of fun,” says Ames. “The trick, though, is it’s not so easy to get all of the parameters right, to get the overlap right for different kinds of terrain. It’s easy to fly, but you have to know what you’re doing to get the data you need for the right product at the end.”

That’s where POWER excels in being able to pinpoint the required data and process it in ways that can be useful to clients.

“We’re fortunate to have a major differentiator in our visualization department’s ability to process and develop these 3D models,” says Hansen. “We’re better positioned to leverage this information than any of our competition.”

Rotorcraft

to model the bridge’s underside.

crash. We can get really close to a transmission line and get in there and take pictures of the line itself.”

Of course, what Pfaff is also excited about is the rotorcraft’s ability to take amazing videos and photos for visualization and public outreach purposes, for photosimulations and photoboards.

“The photography and video is like Hollywood-type information,” says Pfaff. “It’s really high-quality, really professional.”

What’s next?

POWER is in the midst of applying for an FAA 333 exemption, which would allow the team to use these drones for commercial purposes. The process is long, requires a supervisor with a pilot’s license, and there is no guarantee of approval. But Pfaff and Kumm say they are hoping to gain the exemption by March of this year.

If POWER gains the exemption, Pfaff said the team will still take a conservative approach to drone use. Several members of the team are working to earn recreational pilots’ licenses, and Ames said he’s working to ensure POWER does the testing required to work out any potential kinks before hiring drone services out to clients.

However, those clients are chomping at the bit to get started.

“We’re getting requests almost daily about using UASs in our projects,” says Pfaff. “It’s a really big deal, and I think it’s going to be a differentiator. There is a lot of excitement, and our clients really want to understand and experiment with these things along with us.”

Even to the untrained eye, however, the model of the Mores Creek bridge has one glaring omission.

The structure under the bridge, a series of cross-beams, is shown as a wavy gray blur with very little detail.

That’s an example of why the company needs the rotorcraft, its second drone. This UAS is lifted by eight propellers and capable of carrying high-resolution photography and video equipment. The fixed-wing also has a camera, but it only shoots straight down.

The rotorcraft can shoot video and stills from an angle, due to a stabilizing suspension system called a “gimbal.” The rotorcraft can hover in one place and fly with extreme precision, making it possible to model structures such as the Mores Creek bridge, lattice towers Kate Wutz is a marketing and proposal development coordinator in and construction sites, or even to inspect single transmission lines. Hailey for the Power Delivery Division.

“It’s the safer way to inspect lines and construction sites,” says Pfaff. “We have to get up and take photos out of helicopters right now, and it’s very expensive. This reduces the risk of a helicopter

“It’s easy to fly, but you have to know what you’re doing to get the data you need for the right product at the end.”

March 2016 Surges 7