Drone-based inspection in the factory has the potential to cut some four-hour processes down to 10 minutes.
This is according to Jaguar Land Rover (JLR); which is trialing drone technology at its electric propulsion manufacturing centre in the UK.
The pilot forms part of the brand’s vision for its factories of the future and is part of an £18bn investment. It also supports JLR’s Future Skills programme, which aims to train 29,000 employees in electrification and digital skills.
The Elios 3 drone by Flyability reaches high and confined spaces, allowing maintenance teams to inspect equipment safely from the factory floor, eliminating the need for elevated platforms and reducing risk.
Operated via tablet, the drone delivers a live 3D map to identify and troubleshoot issues. This helps JLR to better prevent against maintenance downtime, freeing up employees’ time to focus on other tasks.
The drone uses Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors to send out laser light pulses which bounce back to the drone when it hits an object. By timing how long the pulses take to return, it calculates distances to create detailed 3D maps of the surrounding environment.
In addition, the drone features a thermal camera to help pinpoint overheating components or insulation failures, helping optimise energy use by detecting inefficiencies early and supporting JLR’s efforts to reduce its overall operational emissions.
Following successful trials at JLR’s Wolverhampton electric propulsion manufacturing centre, the next phase will take place at JLR’s logistics operations centre in Solihull.
At the vast warehouse space equivalent to thirteen football pitches, the drone will be equipped with barcode scanners to automate inventory checks, replacing manual processes and enabling faster, more accurate stock updates.
